Treating cavities can be uncomfortable, but it shouldn’t be overly painful. In most cases, patients will experience some degree of discomfort, but pain can be controlled with anesthesia. Depending on the size of the cavity, it may be necessary to inject an anesthetic to desensitize the nerve in the tooth.
For smaller carious lesions, techniques without anesthetic injections can be used, such as the application of dental desensitizing gel or the use of laser technology to remove caries, which can reduce the need for anesthesia.