How Many Cavities Can a Dentist Fill in One Visit?

Cavities can cause tooth sensitivity, pain when chewing, and/or a toothache. When you get a cavity, it’s important to have a dentist fix it with a filling. Sometimes people can have multiple cavities and need all of them filled. The number of cavities that can be filled in a single visit will depend on a few factors:

Where the cavities are located

If you have cavities on both sides of your mouth, your dentist may fill the cavities on just one side during one appointment and then schedule a second later appointment to do the other side. This is for your benefit because it can be uncomfortable and inconvenient to have numbness in both sides of your mouth after your appointment, rather than just one side.

How long it will take

Each cavity takes time to fill, and the more cavities you have to fill, the longer you have to sit in the examination chair holding your mouth open, leading to jaw aches or headaches. A dentist will usually recommend filling three or four cavities in one visit to avoid discomfort.

The size of the cavities

Cavities will be all different sizes, and the larger the cavity, the longer it will take to fill it. Your dentist could fill multiple small cavities in a single visit, but multiple large cavities would take more time and more visits.

It all depends on where the cavities are in your mouth, how large they are, and how long it will take to fill each cavity.

If you have multiple cavities that need fillings, call Cascade Dental Care to schedule an appointment – or two!