Living with a damaged or decayed tooth can disrupt your eating, smiling, and speaking. If the damage is too extensive for a filling, you’ll be pleased to realize that you don’t need a full crown. Dental inlays and onlays provide a conservative option for moderately damaged teeth. At East County Family Dentistry, we combine premium materials with clinical expertise to create restorations that look and feel natural.
What are dental inlays and onlays?
Dental inlays and onlays, often referred to as indirect fillings, are custom-made restorations created in a lab. They are used to address damage that is too significant for a regular filling but not severe enough to necessitate a dental crown. Inlays and onlays are used interchangeably, but they are different.
Here is a closer look:
- Dental inlays: They restore the chewing surfaces of teeth, focusing on the areas between the raised points known as cusps.
- Dental onlays: Also referred to as partial crowns, onlays repair more extensive damage by covering one or more cusps, providing structural reinforcement for weakened walls.
Our office is renowned for natural-looking restorations. We create your inlays and onlays with tooth-colored materials like porcelain, which are trusted for mimicking your natural tooth’s light-reflecting properties. Once placed, your onlay or inlay blends seamlessly with your smile, achieving a beautifully refreshed appearance.
How are dental inlays and onlays placed?
The procedure of getting dental onlays is similar to crown treatment. At our office, we bring expertise and personalized care to your procedure, ensuring a comfortable and satisfactory experience.
Here’s how your procedure unfolds.
- Examination: X-ray images help determine whether you are a suitable candidate for an inlay or onlay.
- Making you comfortable: We use local anesthetics to numb your tooth for a comfortable experience. Nervous about treatment? Let us know. We can help you have a more stress-free experience with sedation.
- Tooth preparation: We remove the damaged, decayed, or weakened areas of the tooth.
- Digital impressions: We take precise scans of your tooth to guide the custom fabrication of your restoration. We’ll cover your prepped tooth with a provisional filling until your onlay/inlay is ready.
- Placement: After checking the fit of your onlay, we use advanced adhesives to secure it.
Dental inlays and onlays provide superior reinforcement to a damaged tooth without aggressive tooth preparation. These restorations are welcome news for anyone who wants to address significant damage without committing to a full crown.
What are the benefits of dental onlays and inlays?
Are you considering dental inlays or onlays? Here are the benefits you can expect.
- Natural aesthetics: Your restoration is customized to mimic the appearance of your natural tooth, resulting in a pleasing aesthetic outcome.
- Long-lasting fix: They last significantly longer than dental fillings, often up to 15 years or more. They are a long-term investment in your oral health.
- Conservative option: We only remove the damaged portions, preserving more of the natural structure than a traditional crown.
- Stronger reinforcement: Indirect fillings are lab-made, ensuring precise customization and greater strength than standard dental fillings.
Where can I find dental onlays and inlays in the Santee area?
Don’t let a damaged or decayed tooth hold you back. Restore your tooth’s strength and appearance with beautiful-looking dental inlays and onlays at East County Family Dentistry. Call (619) 404-0028 and schedule your appointment today. We serve patients from several locations, including Santee, Lakeside, El Cajon, Spring Valley, La Mesa, Alpine, Ramona, and beyond.
