A hole in a tooth is almost always decay, a cavity, and it does not close by itself. Have it checked soon, even if it does not hurt: we close a small cavity gently with a filling. If you wait, it becomes larger and deeper and can reach the nerve. Until your appointment, keep brushing the area gently, avoid sweet and very cold food, and take a painkiller from the pharmacy if it hurts.
Updated: 9 November 2026
How to recognise a hole
- Your tongue feels a rough edge or a small dip.
- Food keeps getting stuck in the same spot.
- You see a brown or dark spot or a small opening.
- A tooth twinges with sweet, cold or hot food.
Many cavities form between the teeth. You cannot see them yourself there, and often only an X-ray shows them. Sometimes it is not a hole at all but a lost filling or a chipped edge. What helps then is explained in “Broken or chipped tooth: what to do?”.
Does a hole in a tooth hurt?
A small cavity usually does not hurt. That is why it often goes unnoticed for a long time. Pain comes when the decay reaches deeper: first a brief twinge with sweet or cold food, later a throbbing when the nerve becomes inflamed. So the fact that it does not hurt does not mean it is harmless. It means: now is the best time.
How we treat a cavity
We choose the smallest treatment that lasts:
- Early decay without a hole: it can often be stopped with resin infiltration (Icon), without a filling. Read more in “Tooth decay: how to recognise it, and what helps”.
- A small cavity: we remove the decay gently under magnification and close the tooth with a tooth-coloured filling, under local anaesthetic and at your pace.
- A larger defect: a ceramic inlay or partial crown protects the tooth for the long term. Ceramic looks like a natural tooth.
- If the decay has reached the nerve: then root canal treatment under the microscope saves your tooth.
The earlier, the smaller the treatment. And the more of your own tooth remains.
What helps until your appointment
- Keep brushing the area, gently and thoroughly. Plaque makes decay progress faster.
- Avoid sweet, acidic and very cold or hot food.
- Do not poke around in the hole with sharp objects.
- A fluoride toothpaste protects the enamel all around.
So that cavities are found early
At your dental check-up we look closely, under magnification and, where it clarifies something, with digital X-rays. That way we see changes while they are small. For most people, a check-up once a year makes sense. A good check-up often ends with the words: everything is fine.
