What does a cavity feel like? In the earliest stages, the answer might be nothing. There are no nerves in your tooth's enamel, so when the decay is in that layer, it's likely that you won't feel a thing. Once the decay has progressed enough to reach the softer tissues inside the tooth, where the dentin and nerves are, you might notice signs of a cavity. Your teeth might feel sensitive and you might feel some pain, especially after eating sweets, hot foods or cold foods. The pain might be fairly mild or it might be sharp and intense. Some people also feel pain when they bite down when they have a cavity.
Depending on the size of the cavity, you may be able to see evidence of it in your mouth. Cavities sometimes create visible holes in the teeth. They might also create stains that are black, brown or white on the surface of the tooth.