Treatment options to protect a decayed or damaged tooth include fillings, inlays and onlays. To many people, fillings are all too common and crowns are relatively familiar. Inlays and onlays may be a lesser-known quantity. The purpose of this brief article is to explain what fillings, onlays and dental inlays in New Westminster are — and how they’re different — while explaining what they can achieve and how to get one. We’ll start by putting them in context alongside the other restorative options.
Tooth restoration options
- Fillings “fill” small holes and cavities in the center area of a tooth’s biting surfaces. Fillings are not appropriate for very large issues affecting the structure of teeth (at least not on their own)
- Inlays are used to fill, cover and patch larger portions of a cavity, hole or gap on the biting surface of a tooth than could be sealed with a filling, and where that cavity, hole or gap is contained within the cusp of your tooth (inside the perimeter as opposed to over the “shoulders” or cusps of the tooth.
- Onlays also fill, cover and patch the biting surface of your tooth but are not limited just to the interior of that biting surface like an inlay. An onlay fills, covers and patches areas on the biting surface but also over the “shoulder” or cusp of the tooth and partially down the side of a tooth.
Crowns are another common option for dealing with some of the same issues that fillings, inlays and onlays address. Crowns cover an entire tooth from the biting surface all the way to the gum line and all the way around the circumference of the tooth. As such, crowns provide structural support to damaged, weak and vulnerable teeth no matter where on the tooth those issues appear.
What are the benefits of inlays and onlays?
While getting onlays and dental inlays near you are considered a rather conservative and somewhat traditional approach to restorative dentistry, they offer several advantages:
- Compared to a damaged tooth without an inlay or onlay, a tooth with the restoration can withstand biting pressures 50 to 75% higher
- Both inlays and onlays typically last longer than a filling
- Inlays and onlays will match the natural colour of your teeth because they’re made from porcelain or compound resins
- Inlays and onlays are a more economical restorative dentistry option than a crown
- Inlays and onlays are designed and crafted to fit securely but snugly against and within the profile of your tooth so that they add no bulk that could press against or irritate your lips, tongue, or cheeks
What is involved in getting an inlay or onlay?
Getting onlays or inlays in New Westminster is usually a two-appointment process. At the first appointment, a dentist in New Westminster will remove any decay from the tooth at issue and take an impression to guide the technicians’ creation of the restoration. Depending on the location and extent of the damage to your tooth, a dentist near you may provide you with a temporary filling to protect the tooth while the inlay or onlay is being prepared. At your second appointment, your dentist in New Westminster will remove any temporary filling before permanently placing the inlay or onlay on your tooth and bonding it in place.
If you want to know whether onlays or inlays near you are appropriate for solving any issues with your teeth, contact a dentist near you to schedule a consultation. If inlays and onlays aren’t an ideal solution, the dentist will certainly be able to offer better alternatives.
