Cavities?????????????????

What does having a cavity feel like? please be specific! dont jusy say it hurts....tell me the details
and tell me what its like getting one filled
im just curious......................

It hurts kinda like an aching pain. You can tell that there is something wrong. It's not like a cancker. It's more like a headache...in your tooth.
Getting it filled isn't that much fun. I never liked the novicaine shot they give you because I can't stand needles. They say that if it is a good dentist, you can't even feel the shot, but I could. It feels just like any other shot, but it's in your mouth.
The drilling is more annoying than anything, but sometimes you will get a shot of pain right through your tooth.
It feels better after but your face is numb. Unless you are a big baby (like me) it's really not a big procedure. Any normal person would find it annoying but not unlivable.

It's an intense pain- when I have a cavity, the pain usually intensifies when I eat something sweet or cold. As long as you have novacaine (sp??), you don't feel anything. Believe me, I know- I just had 2 below the gumline cavities filled. I was grateful for the pain meds!!!

Cannot tell you because I have never had one. I am 36 years old and without cavities. Guinness Book of World's Records for me maybe?

Either way, I know it is painful because my mum has suffered through a lot of them. It was painful for he to chew with that tooth and cold items did not help her either. She advised that she does not know what it is like getting the tooth filled because they numbed her mouth with medicine.

A cavity, yes, it does ache. Mine aches when I bite, when something's too sweet or too hot or cold, if something gets caught in it. It's the worst pain in the world. It hurts so bad I have to keep my mouth open until it stops hurting. It basically feels like a huge hole in your tooth. Sometimes mine hurts when I stick my tongue in it (I had a problem with my last dentist, and he didn't tell me to fix it until THREE MONTHS LATER, so now I'm getting it fixed...) And it'll get worse until you get it filled.

To fix it, they usually give you some anesthesia in the gum to numb the area they're going to fill. It sort of stings a little bit, but the sting only lasts for a few seconds (well, it depends on your pain level--I think it kind of hurts, and I have lower pain level, so it usually nearly brings a tear to my eye). Then it's entirely numb. Sometimes they press down on it when they drill it and such, but you honestly don't feel a thing, and if you do, you need to tell them. My dentist only tried a little bit at a time, and it wasn't numb enough, so I had to raise my fingers. You honestly don't feel anything.

Afterward, it feels weird to crunch down on the tooth. They'll have you bite down on something a few times usually, to make sure your bite isn't uncomfortable. If it is, you should tell them, and they'll level the filling out more. When you walk away, it still feels weird to bite. I end up grinding my teeth a lot, trying to make my bite feel normal again.

Sometimes there's a little pain afterward, a kind of ache, but it does go away, and your bite does feel normal again. I had some filling bits coming out of my mouth, very tiny chunks for awhile, but I have a really cheap dentist--I go to the health department. Yuck. Today I'm going to get my cavity filled by a real dentist. I'm hoping for the best.

Sometimes, cavities DON'T hurt and those are the dangerous ones.

Good reason to see your dentist twice a year for exam, cleaning, and x-rays. Some dentists use other diagnostic tools to detect unseen and unfelt cavities so they can get to them before they become serious.

Emmalue is correct, you can have a cavity and not know it is there bc it is still small. But going to the dentist for a check up twice a yr is the only way to catch them while they are small. The ones that cause you pain are the ones that are very deep and affect the nerve and pulp of the tooth.
I personally have never had a cavity, but my patients have described anywhere from just a sensitivity to hot or cold drinks or foods, or an ache if they eat something too sweet. However, if the cavity has gone down to the pulp and infected it, you cannot bite on the tooth itself, the tooth hurts on its own without any stimulus to it, and the pain is spontaneous and/or keeps you up at night.
I'm sure others with actual toothache experience can put in their 2 cents. My answer is a bit textbook and geeky :)