Sure, I preach about taking care of your teeth everyday to avoid cavities, but sometimes, even with the best dental hygiene, decay still forms. This happened to me at my last dental cleaning. The dentist noticed his pick "sticking" in the grooves of a molar. He told me that I had developed a small cavity. I went ahead and scheduled my filling for the next week.

Fast forward to today...

I left work after my lunch break to drive to my dentist's office. As I was preparing for the procedure, I had a daring idea. What if I asked the dentist to perform the filling without any numbing anesthetic? I hate those long needles in my mouth - they hurt! I also have an allergic reaction to the gas, so that is out of the question.

Once they called me back into the exam room, I was shaking. I hate, let me repeat, HATE getting dental work done. My heart was racing, and my palms were sweating. Somehow, I managed to ask the dental assistant if they ever did fillings without numbing medication.

To my surprise, she told me that they sometimes do exactly that. If my cavity was small enough, it would be a possibility. She headed back to grab the dentist.

When he walked into the room, he agreed that performing the filling without any anesthetic would be perfectly fine. He would use a drill with a special burr that does not get too hot. That would keep my tooth from feeling sensation. He prepped me, and before I knew it, my tooth was being drilled.

After about seven or eight minutes, the filling was complete. I never felt a thing, and I left the office without that funny numb feeling. I do not recommend this for everyone, however. According to my dentist, this only works on virgin teeth that only have small, surface cavities. If the cavity goes past the enamel, into the dentin, there will be a lot of pain.

It was the easiest filling I have ever received.