I have a cavity in my front right tooth. the left had a root canal. will i need novocaine to fill and if so will is sting? i'm a huge dental phobic.

If the tooth is: Vital (alive) and the cavity is big or deep, then the answer us yes. There are many very potent topical anesthetic a available these days. Make sure your dentist uses one prior, to make the anesthesia process less uncomfortable. Hope this helps and thanks for the question.

Fillings and numbing: Any filling done on a vital tooth will hurt if no anesthetic is used. A large cavity that you can see means the dentist will have to do some drilling. Ask your dentist to use a topical numbing gel prior to using the needle. It will sting somewhat. Suggest you bring your ipod and headphones to the appt. Crank up the volume to take your mind off the actual injection and the drill noise. Good luck.

Needle free injectio: There is a new needle free injection that i started using several months ago. See if your dentist has it or topical can be very helpful as well.

Some suggestions-: Having the tooth numbed up will ensure that you feel absolutely nothing. Here are some things that will help make that process comfortable for you- ask your dentist if he\she uses "sweet air" which will relax you right away. Then ask for a topical anesthetic and being extra gentle and slow when giving the injection. Many patients with this technique do not even know the injection was given.

Unknown: Hard to tell your pain threshold, and I have no idea how deep the cavity is. Why not ask your treating dentist who knows you and the tooth better than anyone else?