Hello,
In the past when I have had cavities, I've had bad filling experiences. I HATE needles, and when they stick that needle in my mouth, the pain is enormous. Then they didnt give me enough to numb me, so it hurt the whole time they were drilling. This happened on two occasions.

I was wondering, this time, if there was some sort of alternative to fillings. Some way they can get the cavity without numbing me with a needle and drilling it out?

If there is, how do I go about trying to get it, and how much more would it cost than drilling?

Thanks,
Hunter

Sorry, but there just isn't any way to get rid of a cavity other than to fill it. Have you tried a different dentist? There are a lot of dentists that specialize in making dental work as pain-free as possible. They can give you pills beforehand or gas to minimize the discomfort and anxiety. Also, there is gel that they can put on the gums to numb them before sticking the needle in. Plus, there is some technique involved in administering the shot with the least amount of pain. The last dentist I had was great. After he numbed me up, I never felt a thing. Actually, once I did feel a very small bit of something, and he numbed me up some more.

Find a dentist who is sensitive to your fears and who will be able to adequately relieve your pain. But don't ignore your cavities just because you are afraid of the pain... they can turn into much bigger problems!

What is air abrasion then?

There is air abrasion and laser dentistry, though sometimes can be a little irritating. you will still get a filling, but the cutting process is different. the other problem is finding a guy to do it, it's rare technology and you have to find a dentist with the equipment.

and to answer your question, air abrasion is like sandblasting.

ask your friends, go to a good dentist and you'll see that needles suck but they don't have to suck that bad.