Do bigger fillings hurt more than smaller ones?

I've just found out that I need to get fillings in 5 of my teeth (all molars), two on top and three on the bottom. The dentist said that two of the cavities are pretty big and the fillings will be big ones - does that hurt more than smaller fillings? The other ones are quite small I think, but he says he can't do them without making me numb, so I have to go back a few times to get them all done.





My friend says that when you get fillings in top teeth they only numb that one tooth, but when you need fillings in bottom teeth they numb that whole side of your mouth - is that true? And how long do you stay numb for afterwards?

Do bigger fillings hurt more than smaller ones?
Yep, your friend is right about the novocaine. A single nerve runs the whole side of your mouth on each side of your bottom jaw ... therefore, that whole side (only on the bottom) goes numb. On top, each tooth has its own nerve. Sometimes, though ... for a top tooth, the dentist will give you a shot of novocaine in the roof of your mouth, too.





As for the drilling and fillings themselves ... as long as you're properly numb, you shouldn't feel it. You might be a little more sore later for the bigger ones, especially if they are deep. The dentist will usually tell you to take aspirin or ibuprofen if you have pain after.





As to how long you stay numb ... well, that varies among individuals. Some people stay numb (at least somewhat) for a few hours, while for others, the shots wear off pretty quickly.
Reply:Well, a few of my molars have fillings. The actually filling itself didn't hurt at all, it's just the shot to numb it was a little painful. I think it was where it was in the far back, but I don't know.





They stay numb for quite some time. The last one I had, it took around 3-4 hours for it to get feeling back.
Reply:My experience is that it doesn't really matter, numb is numb is numb the more the better when getting dental work done. Despite popular belief it does not really hurt. They normally rub some topical numbing solution on first then you hardly feel the needle. Big or small filling they are all they same. It is not bad at all.
Reply:Once I had 5 cavities, I too had to do this in two different settings, one does not hurt more then the other, it is just more of a pain because it takes longer, the dentist will numb you for all of your cavities, a little advice, after that I flossed at least a couple of times a week and rinsed with ACT everyday, ever since I have had no cavities.


Good Luck
Reply:Bigger fillings do not hurt anymore than smaller ones. Like what's-his-name said above me, it's just the injection that feels a little bit like a pinch. Your friend is right. The reason for this is that the bottom teeth can be numbed by getting one big nerve that runs along the bottom of your face. And what's-his-name was right again about the time for numbness to go away...3-4 hours. Be careful what you eat...Nothing sticky or crunchy. Chew soft stuff on the other side. Don't mess with it with your tongue. Good luck.
Reply:the deeper and larger the cavity and filling, the longer it will hurt afterwards