An inlay is similar to a filling in that it is used to fill a single hole in your tooth. Rather than being made from a soft pliable resin that is forced into the cavity, an inlay is shaped to precisely fit the cavity left by decay. An onlay is used in situations where the decay has been more widespread, or you have had more than one cavity on the same tooth. Both are custom made using porcelain and act very much like a dental crown – in fact, inlays and onlays are the best option where a crown could be used, but the bulk of the tooth is worth saving.

When it comes to having an inlay or onlay fitted, the treatment plan is similar to that of a filing. Your tooth is generally numbed and the decayed matter removed from your tooth. Rather than preparing a resin to put into the tooth, digital photography is used to create a three-dimensional image on a computer. This is then used to create a porcelain inlay or onlay ready for your tooth. In a modern dental office, these can be made while you wait and fitted permanently into place on the same day.

Inlays and onlays look very natural, especially when compared to amalgam fillings. They are long wearing and add a lot of strength to a tooth that has been weakened by decay. Porcelain is one substance that can be colored to suit the teeth already in the mouth. This helps to maintain that natural look to your teeth.

While traditional fillings have a habit of falling out over time, inlays and onlays can be the best option – especially long term. If you want good strong healthy teeth, but you have decay in one or two of them, find out from your dentist if an inlay or onlay is suitable.

The procedure is quite straightforward. An image is taken of your tooth and computer software is used to create a digital copy of the required restoration. This is then fed into a special piece of equipment that creates a restoration that perfectly matches the missing part of the tooth. This technology can be used to create ceramic dental crowns, veneers, inlays, and onlays, and the good news for you is that it can be done quickly and accurately.

By having the option to produce these restorations while you wait, you only require one visit to your dentist. More importantly, you only have to experience the treatment once. In the past, your dentist would prepare the tooth, take a cast, which was then sent of to a technician, then place a temporary restoration in place. When you returned, the temporary restoration had to be removed before the permanent restoration could be put in place. CEREC technology does away with that temporary restoration and the need to return – the tooth is prepared and the permanent restoration put in place almost immediately. Technology is everywhere, even in your dentist’s office.

Having a concern over your health is, in itself, very healthy. If you visit your dentist and they do suggest you require a filling or two, you need to mention your discomfort about the use of mercury amalgam fillings. Why? There are many treatment options a dentist can use – mercury amalgam is just one of them. In most cases, especially for front teeth, your dentist’s preferred treatment is likely to be a tooth-colored resin and not an amalgam, anyway.

Using a dental composite material has become commonplace in dentistry now, even for back teeth that need filling. If the tooth has large gaps that need filling, then onlays, inlays, or even a dental crown could be a consideration. These can all be used as alternatives to mercury amalgam fillings and so reducing any actual or perceived ongoing health issues.

Modern dentistry has come a long way. Dentists no longer dictate what your treatment plan is going to be. Rather, they sit down and discuss the various options available, leaving you to make the final choice based on what you can afford, the outcomes you hope to achieve, and any fears you may have over various treatments. See your dentist as soon as you need to – you are in control of your dental care. Your dentist is just one of the team players.

The use of porcelain as an inlay may be recommended in situations where a tooth has been weakened by decay. Normal amalgam fillings may not be strong enough to hold the tooth together for any extended period of time. The choice may be a full crown, extraction, or the simpler use of an inlay. If the problem extends to the cusp of a tooth, then a full crown or onlay may used instead.

In the past (and if requested today), inlays were made from gold. Less expensive inlays can be made from composite resin, however this material is not as strong when it comes to holding a tooth together. Inlays are fabricated to exactly match the hole into which it will be placed. Well made inlays will sit in perfectly and the surface of the tooth, particularly the biting area, will flow seamlessly. This makes the inlay a very comfortable fit and the patient cannot tell the difference between their old tooth and the tooth with an inlay.

Inlays are commonly used as a less expensive option to full crowns. In situations where they are used, they provide strength and stability to a tooth which means the patient can retain that tooth for a much longer period of time. Inlays are also impervious to any decay, although the tooth around the inlay is not. Your dentist will tell you if you need an inlay.

How does it work? In the past, your dentist would prepare your tooth for a particular treatment – for example, a crown, veneer, cap, onlay, or inlay. This preparation often involved a local anesthetic injection to numb the tooth. Your dentist would then place a tray of goop in your mouth to make an impression of the prepared tooth. This tray was then sent off to a technician who would then create a custom fit restoration.

In the meantime, your dentist would apply a temporary restoration that would sit in place until your custom fit appliance was ready. A week or two later you would return to the dentist, succumb to another local anesthetic so your dentist could remove the temporary restoration, clean the area, and then attach the custom fit restoration.

The difference between that technology and Cerec is huge. First, the whole process is done in one visit, this means only the one local anesthetic. Your dentist prepares the tooth as before, but rather than taking a mold, your dentist will use computer imagery to map your tooth (including color). With this information, a dedicated machine can make a custom fit restoration right there while you wait. It will be perfect in size, shape, and color. Your dentist can then polish the restoration and fix it where it needs to go.

That’s it. No second visit, no second local anesthetic. You can enter your dentists office with a broken tooth and leave with a complete restoration – and not need to return for a second visit – now that has to be good for your pocket.

Dentists can perform inlay, onlay, crown and veneer restorations using the Cerec technology. The real advances since it was first developed have been in the computer technology available. Anyone that has been involved in computers over the last 25 years will appreciate how quickly Cerec has advanced. Dentists can now take digital three-dimensional photos of a patient’s teeth. A computer can then help the dentist to create a ceramic replacement for the area to be restored.

These restorations can be done in one visit, one of the biggest advantages to this technology. Other treatment options generally require two or three visits and involve the services of an outside laboratory. Using Cerec, a dentist can perfectly match color shape and size while the patient is waiting.

Because of the precision provided by Cerec, a dentist can preserve as much of the original tooth as possible. This means the restoration is smaller and since the materials used are first class, the finished result closely matches the original tooth in color and strength. Cerec restorations are generally long lasting and provide the same protection against hot and cold foods and drinks as natural healthy teeth.

Cerec is a technology that can be used in most situations. It is certainly worth discussing with your dentist if you are looking at crowns, inlays, onlays, or veneers – a one visit Cerec restoration may be just right for you.

Loss of teeth can happen at any time and it need not only be because of poor dental hygiene; an injury can cause you to lose a tooth. And then there are those chipped teeth marring your smile. Cavities can damage your teeth so much that you start hiding your mouth like I did when I was a kid. The truth is that tooth damage does happen, but it should not deter you from smiling. Your dentist has a solution to all these problems.

The solution to a missing tooth, chipped teeth or damaged teeth lie in the various restorative dental treatments at your dentist’s office. Let’s look at how your teeth can be restored.

Dental bridges are replacements for lost teeth. A bridge helps fill in the gap created by a missing tooth. Then there are dental crowns. Crowns restore those teeth that have been severely affected by cavities or badly broken or damaged. The crown essentially restores the shape of the teeth by filling in the gaps. The shape and structure of adjacent teeth help design the perfect crowns. A crown is typically made of porcelain.

Dental fillings are yet another way to restore your teeth. The process involves filling in the cavities created in the teeth due to decay. Fillings are made of a variety of different materials like composite materials, metals, alloys and porcelain.

Then there are inlays and onlays. An inlay is used to restore a cracked or broken tooth when filling does not suffice. Inlays are used for a tooth that is not too damaged to require crowns. An inlay is typically applied to the chewing area of the tooth. An onlay covers more than one tooth. Onlays are spread over the chewing surface of multiple teeth.

So, you see, you don’t need to hide your mouth if you have managed to damage your teeth. Just walk in to your dental clinic and you will soon come out smiling.

Happy smiling!

An inlay helps restore cracked or broken teeth. Inlays are used for teeth that are not damaged enough to require crowns. Now, an onlay is an inlay’s brother. It is an inlay that covers more than one tooth. An inlay is typically applied to the chewing area of the tooth. Onlays are spread over the chewing surface of multiple teeth.

Inlays and onlays are made of porcelain, gold, or composite resins. Now, there are two types of inlays and onlays: direct ones and indirect ones. The direct inlay/onlay is fixed directly in the tooth. It is then taken out and hardened and then fixed again. The indirect inlay/onlay is prepared in stages: first, a mould is prepared by using a soft material on the tooth; next, the mould helps prepare the actual inlay/onlay in the laboratory. The patient is given temporary filling while the inlay/onlay is being made.

In this dental procedure, the area around the tooth is numbed using an anesthesia. Then, depending on whether a direct inlay/onlay is required or an indirect inlay/onlay, the treatment is done.

Typically, it requires two visits for the treatment. However, with technological advancements, it is possible to fix a direct inlay/onlay in a single visit.

Take care. Save yourself from unnecessary accidents – dental or otherwise.

Happy smiling!

An inlay is a restorative treatment for cracked or broken teeth. Inlays are used for a tooth that is not too damaged to require crowns. An inlay is made of porcelain, gold, or composite resins. An inlay is typically applied to the chewing are of the tooth.

Onlays are the same as inlays except that they cover more than one tooth. Onlays are spread over the chewing surface of multiple teeth.

Inlays and onlays are avaialble in two forms: direct and indirect. The direct inlay/onlay is fixed directly in the tooth. It is then taken out and hardened and then fixed again. The indirect inlay/onlay is prepared in stages: first a mould is prepared by using a soft material on the tooth; next, the mould helps prepare the actual inlay/onlay in the laboratory. The patient is given temporary filling while the inlay/onlay is being made.

Thanks to advancements in dentistry, the restoration of your teeth can be done in only one visit to the dental clinic. Your dentist will numb the area around your tooth using anesthesia, and the treatment will be carried on.

So, don’t worry about those ugly cracks on your teeth. Just seek an appointment with the dentist.

Happy smiling!

Inlays and onlays are a kind of restorative dental treatment that is used to restore cracked and broken teeth.

What do inlays and onlays treat?

Typically, they are used to restore cracks in the teeth. They are also used to restore teeth that have been broken.

Inlays and onlays are used typically in cases where a dental filling does not suitable and yet there is no requirement for crowns.

What are inlays and onlays made of?

Inlay and onlays are made of porcelain, gold, or composite resins

What is the difference between an inlay and an onlay?

While an inlay covers one tooth, onlays are spread over the chewing surface of multiple teeth.

Are there different types of inlays and onlays?

Inlays and onlays are of two types: direct inlays/onlays and indirect inlays/onlays. The direct inlay/onlay is put directly on the tooth. It is then taken out and hardened, and then fixed once again. The indirect inlay/onlay takes longer to be fixed. It is prepared in stages: first a mould is prepared by using a soft material on the tooth; next, the mould helps prepare the actual inlay/onlay in the laboratory. The patient is given temporary filling while the inlay/onlay is being made.

What happens in the dental procedure?

When fixing the inlay/onlay, the area around the tooth is numbed using an anesthesia. Then, depending on the type of inlay/onlay required, the procedure is carried. Typically, it requires two visits for the treatment. However, with technological advancements, it is possible to fix a direct inlay/onlay in a single visit.

If you have cracks in your teeth that are making your smile dull, rush to your dentist today. He/she will help change the way the world sees your smile.

Happy smiling!