Tooth-colored inlays and onlays offer a cosmetically pleasing option for dental fillings and restoration. Inlays and onlays provide more coverage than a filling while restoring the look of the tooth. Inlays and onlays can be used in place of a crown to make a localized repair rather than cover the entire tooth. They seamlessly blend with the tooth and can be used to treat cavities or replace existing metal fillings. Inlays and onlays are just one of the many treatments offered at ourLas Vegas cosmetic dentistry practice.
What Are Inlays and Onlays?
Inlays and onlays are used to treat tooth decay and restore cracked teeth that are not damaged enough to need a dental crown. For our patientsLas Vegas, dental crowns can be used to treat teeth with more extensive damage. Inlays and onlays can be made of gold, porcelain, or composite resin. Porcelain and composite resin are the materials of choice since they are natural looking and can be customized to match the shade of your tooth. The inlays and onlays treatment process involves creating an impression of the tooth to be treated and removing any decayed areas or old fillings. The mold is then sent to a dental lab so the custom inlay or onlay can be fabricated. Once ready, the inlay or onlay is cemented into place. Though inlays and onlays are used in similar ways, they are different from each other.
- Inlays:Inlays are designed to treat decay within the cusps. The cusps are the bumps on the biting surface of the teeth that help with chewing.
- Onlays: Onlays are used when the decay extends to one or more cusps. Onlays can be used to repair some fractures, which is why they are sometimes called partial crowns.
What Are the Benefits of Inlays and Onlays?
There are many benefits to inlays and onlays. Here are a few of them:
- Aesthetics:Porcelain and composite resin inlays and onlays are custom-made to the desired shade and will blend perfectly with your own teeth.
- Durable: Porcelain and composite resin inlays and onlays are longer lasting than their silver amalgam filling counterpart.
- Will not discolor your teeth: Teeth with silver amalgam fillings are known to turn a grayish tint from the reaction to the metal. Porcelain and composite resin will not tarnish the color of your teeth.
- Preserve and increase the strength of your teeth:Placing a silver amalgam filling requires extensive amounts of tooth to be removed, weakening the structure of the tooth. Less tooth needs to be removed with inlays and onlays because the porcelain and resin are actually bonded to the tooth. As an added bonus, the porcelain and composite resin add strength to the structure of the tooth.
- Will not expand or contract: Silver amalgam fillings expand and contract when in contact with hot and cold foods and liquids. This contraction and expansion can create fractures in the teeth, requiring more extensive dental work later on. Porcelain and composite resin will not give you this problem.
Schedule a Consultation Today!
Restore the look of your smile with inlays and onlays. We invite you toschedule a consultation with Jason L. Downey, DDS Dentistry today.