[colinicky]

yes they have other ways to deaden the pain .the trouble is that to deaden the pain of drilling & filling they stick a dirty great needle in your gum 2 or 3 times & inject stuff to numb it ! so i hope your going to be a big brave adult(ish) diver & not be scared of needles .in all seriousness as mentioned before talk to the dentist ,get them to explain what they are going to do ,ask for the gel , try to relax .
good luck we'll be thinking of you