16 Oct Inlays and Onlays Dental Restoration
If you would like to have a more youthful look to your smile and healthier teeth, inlay or onlay restoration may be beneficial to you. Prescott Dentistry, located in Prescott Arizona, provides general and cosmetic services for all your dental needs. We pride ourselves on providing the best care possible for you and your loved ones through treating or preventing tooth decay.
What are Inlays/Onlays?
Dental restoration can give you a strong, long-lasting smile and improve your daily eating and speaking abilities. Inlays and onlays are types of dental restoration that eliminate tooth decay and damage. These are an alternative to regular fillings. The difference is that while regular fillings are completed in the office, inlays/onlays are a custom-made in the dental lab to create a more natural-looking end result. The inlay/onlay helps to fix damage or decay in your teeth.
Whether an inlay or an onlay is used is based on where the damage has occurred within the tooth. If the damage is in the center of the tooth, the material gets bonded there and is therefore called an “inlay.” When the damage to the tooth occurs more on the outer portion of the tooth or biting surface, it is called an “onlay.”
Advantages
The advantages of using inlays or onlays for your dental restoration include:
- Customized Fit- While a regular filling is beneficial, going the next step for an inlay/onlay creates a more precise fit. The material is able to adhere to the specific crevices of your tooth, preserving as much healthy, natural tooth structure as possible.
- Easy Cleaning- The inlays/onlays are specifically fit for your tooth, and thus allow an easy cleaning process.
- Strength- Resistance to tooth decay and damage is increased due to the nature of the material being adhered to your teeth. It creates increased strength in the structure of the tooth that is better able to withstand chewing impact than regular fillings.
- Tooth Color- The material adhered to your tooth has a long-lasting ability to hold its color.
While each procedure must be discussed with your dentist to determine whether it is best for you specifically, there are many advantages of inlays and onlays over regular fillings. They are stronger, have a more customized fit, and tend to be less invasive to the surrounding healthy tooth, preserving natural structure.
For the beautiful smile you have always wanted, and stronger, healthier teeth, visit us today! Prescott Dental has excellent staff waiting to meet all your dental needs.
Images used under creative commons license – commercial use (10/27/2017) Niels Heidenreich (Flickr)