What to expect if i've never had a dental filling before?

Large or small: The smaller the filling the longer it will last and usually the easier and more quickly it can be completed. Smaller areas of decay can sometimes be corrected with air abrasion, but you may still want to be numbed if the filling is at all large.

No pain: Your dentist will numb the area he will be working on prior starting your filling. Likely a rubber dam will be used to isolate the tooth from your saliva which will contaminate the filling if gotten wet. He/she will use a high speed handpiece to remove the decay down to solid tooth structure. The filling material you decide upon will be placed and finished. You are now done.