Dental inlays and onlays are restorations that are made to fit into the tooth and they are used to repair teeth that have moderate decay or damage. They are more durable than traditional fillings and help to maintain a greater natural tooth structure than crowns while also lasting for many years if properly maintained.
When your tooth is damaged or decayed, you might think fillings or crowns are your only choices. However, there’s a better middle-ground option.
Inlays and onlays are strong, long-lasting repairs. Additionally, they repair the damage while preserving a larger portion of your natural tooth. To fix your smile, Clove Dental provides accurate, cozy and lifelike inlays and onlays.
In this blog, let us explore what they are and why they could fit your dental needs.
Inlays and onlays are known as indirect restorations. That means they are made outside your mouth. Whereas, it is usually in a dental lab and then placed on the tooth.
Inlays fit into the grooves of your tooth, just like a filling.
Onlays, on the other hand, cover one or more cusps of the tooth. They are ideal when the damage is more extensive.
Henceforth, both options are stronger and more precise than standard fillings.
You might be a good candidate for an inlay or onlay if your tooth has moderate damage that doesn’t quite call for a full crown. Your dentist at Clove Dental may recommend this option when-
Inlays and onlays provide special benefits above conventional crowns or fillings.
They fit better than other fillings since they are built to order. In addition, if there is a better match, it will be less likely to degrade in the future.
Moreover, they uniformly distribute biting pressure and provide a good seal for the tooth. This reduces sensitivity, and protects against future fractures.
Here is exactly what to expect-
Step 1- We look at your tooth. If needed, we’ll take an X-ray. Then we clean out the damaged part and take a mold or scan so the lab can make your inlay or onlay.
Step 2- We put in a temporary filling to keep the tooth safe while the lab works on the final piece.
Step 3- When it is ready, you come back. We check the fit, bond it to your tooth and smooth it out so it feels normal.
Most insurance plans help with the cost of inlays or onlays if you need them for a damaged tooth. We’ll call your provider and check before we do anything so you’re not surprised.
If you have insurance, we’ll call and find out what they’ll pay for before we do any work. If you don’t have coverage, or if the plan doesn’t pay for everything, we’ll sit down with you and figure out a way to make the cost manageable. We’ll tell you the price up front and take care of the paperwork, so you don’t have to deal with it.
Thousands of patients in the United States trust Clove Dental. This is why our patients choose us:
Don’t wait until the pain gets worse. Inlays and onlays can help you save your tooth and your smile. Call Clove Dental today to schedule a consultation. We’ll take a look and help you get your confidence back, one tooth at a time.
An inlay fits inside the chewing surface of a tooth without covering the cusps. Onlay is a restoration that extends beyond the middle of the tooth, but is not so severe that a crown is needed.
Porcelain or ceramic inlays or onlays can last anywhere from 10 to 30 years, depending on the material and how hard the person is on them.
Yes. Inlays and onlays, made from hard materials and permanently cemented to the tooth, tend to be more durable and stronger than standard fillings in larger sections of decay.
Inlays and onlays, the traditional method, take two appointments. In the first appointment, your dentist forms the tooth and takes impressions or scans of it. The second visit is used to permanently fix the custom restoration.