Dental Inlays & Onlays

Dental Inlays & Onlays

When you have cavities, most dentists recommend dental fillings. However, you also have some additional options in dental inlays and onlays. But what is a dental inlay or dental onlay? How do they differ from each other or from dental fillings? Please continue reading for a detailed overview of the dental inlay and onlay procedure.

What are Dental Inlays & Onlays?

Dental inlay is basically a filling material made of tooth-colored ceramic, porcelain, or composite resin. If you have a filling, a bonding process is used to bind the dental inlay material to your fractured tooth and fill up the cavity firmly. Dental onlay is similar to dental inlays, but in this case, the bonding material extends to the chewing part of the back teeth. Both dental inlay and only can drastically increase the strength of the tooth.

Advantages of Dental Inlay Onlay Procedure

The following are some of the primary advantages of the dental inlay onlay procedure:

  • If the exterior of your tooth is extremely damaged, your teeth may become too weak for either dental fillings or dental crowns. In that case, a strong filling material is necessary in order to restore the original functionality and shape of your tooth. That’s where dental onlays come in.
  • Dental onlay is often recommended as an alternative to a dental crown. If you want to get a dental crown, you would have to remove some of the structure from your original teeth. However, a dental onlay can repair considerable damage without having to make alterations to your existing tooth. As such, it’s a fairly conservative treatment.
  • Dental inlay is ideal when most of the material needs to fill up within the tooth.
  • A dental inlay thoroughly fills up the hollowed parts of the tooth and strengthens the tooth because of a strong bonding process.
  • They also decrease the sensitivity of your teeth.

Dental Inlays & Onlays

Dental Inlay Crown Procedure

Dental inlay is a procedure in which the composite resin, porcelain, or ceramic filling material fits into the grooves of the affected tooth but doesn’t extend to the cusp of the tooth. The following are the steps involved in the dental inlay crown procedure:

  • The dentist numbs the affected area using an anesthesia.
  • The dentist drills into the affected tooth to remove all of the infected and decayed parts. This procedure, however, only works if the damage or decay doesn’t extend to the cusp of the tooth.
  • The dentist takes an impression of your mouth using a dental mold and sends it to a laboratory so they can make the perfect dental inlay. Meanwhile, the dentist places a temporary filling in your cavity to protect it.
  • Once the dental inlay is prepared, it’s applied to the cavity. This repairs the chewing surface of your teeth and it’s often indistinguishable from your actual teeth.

Schedule an Inlay Onlay Appointment

Dental Onlay Crown Procedure

Dental onlay is a procedure in which the composite resin, porcelain, or ceramic filling material repairs extensive damage that also affects the cusp or tips of the tooth.

  • The dentist numbs the affected area using an anesthesia.
  • The dentist drills into the affected tooth to remove all of the infected and decayed parts.
  • The dentist takes an impression of your mouth using a dental mold and sends it to a laboratory so they can make the perfect dental onlay. Meanwhile, the dentist places a temporary filling in your cavity to protect it.
  • Once the dental onlay is prepared, the dentist applies it to your teeth. It repairs the cavity in your teeth along with the damage to the biting surface of your teeth.

Dental Inlay Onlay versus Dental Fillings

Dental Inlay Onlay is a far more effective method of filling cavities and repairing damages than dental fillings. They’re a lot more durable than dental fillings made of composite resin, which is why they last a lot longer as well. Furthermore, dental onlay can also be used to repair extensive damage to the cusp of your teeth.

Dentists generally recommend dental inlay onlay instead of filling in the following situations:

  • If you have broken or chipped teeth that affects the cusps or tips of your teeth.
  • If the damage to your tooth is so large that most of the original tooth will have to be removed, which can weaken your tooth.
  • If you can’t get a dental crown because the dentist can’t remove the necessary amount of tooth surface.

What can a Cosmetic Dentist do?

A cosmetic dentist can perform a number of different procedures to give you a smile makeover:

  • Whiten your teeth using bleaching gel and laser to remove all of your surface stains.
  • Use dental bonding procedure to repair tiny cracks and fractures on your teeth.
  • Mask your existing teeth by covering them up with dental veneers or dental crowns.
  • Use dental inlays and onlays to repair cavities and strengthen the teeth.
  • Repair crooked, fractured, or broken teeth.
  • Get rid of or mask stains and discoloration on teeth.
  • Cover up misaligned teeth and project the appearance of perfectly even and aligned teeth.

Schedule an Inlay Onlay Appointment

At URBN Dental Uptown , we thoroughly examine your teeth to determine which is one of the best dental procedure for your needs. If you’re suffering from serious dental decay or cavities, we use tooth-colored dental inlays and onlays to restore your teeth perfectly. For more information, please schedule an inlay onlay appointment today.