Could it hurt to get cavities filled?

Pain...: If a cavity is a bit deep, you dentist will recommend a small shot of anesthetic. The pin prick will hurt a bit... Lets face it , it's a sharp needle. But that should be about it, for a couple of seconds. Many of my patients have their cavities filled without an anesthetic... And they don't complain about any pain. It's the nature of the procedure.

It depend: Every patient has a different pain threshold. Some of my patients get dental work done without any local anesthetic and some require to be numb.

3 choices: 1) Local anesthetic (little pin prick) to numb teeth so that there is no pain, or 2) If small, you may want to opt for Rx without anesthetic (although I'm a big believer in anesthesia for me), or 3) Don't get the cavities (infections) fixed, let then infection spread to other organ systems, risk requiring Root Canal Treatment or Extraction. Best advice, fix problem when it's small.

Usually no: It usually requires a shot of local anesthetic but not all people require this. For about 10% of the population little discomfort is felt even without a shot. Some teeth are more difficult to get numb than others. For patients that have never had a cavity filled and all things being equal, i like to start with an upper bicuspid first as it is the easiest area to treat for the patient.

No: Your dentist will give you an injection of a novocain (procaine) anesthetic type product that will cause the area to be numb, you will feel nothing.