our services
Tooth Repair
- Amalgam or Silver Fillings
- Composite or White Fillings
- Crowns
- Porcelain Crowns
- Porcelain Fused Metal Crowns
- Gold Crowns
- Inlays Outlays
- Veneers
Tooth Replacement
Dental Cleaning and Treatment of Gum Diseases
Treatment of Dental Infections
dental services
Tooth Repair
Inlays and Onlays (Gold and Porcelain)
When teeth only have a mild to moderate amount of decay, dental inlays and onlays are often used for restoration work. Inlays and onlays can be made of porcelain, composite resin, or gold. For those patients looking for a truly natural looking smile, and the best that dentistry has to offer, inlays and onlays made from gold or tooth coloured porcelain are frequently used to replace older or damaged metal fillings.
Dentists recommend dental inlays for teeth suffering from damage or decay in the valleys, grooves or ‘pits’ of the tooth’s chewing surface. Dental onlays are designed to treat damage and deterioration extending to one or more of the cusps or projections on the uppermost chewing surface of the tooth. Onlays can assist in repairing teeth that are at risk from fracture, by covering over the vulnerable top surface of a tooth, where fractures are most likely to originate. In this way, the onlay serves the same purpose as a crown, on a tooth that doe not have sufficient deterioration to warrant the actual fitting of a dental crown.
Both inlays and onlays are customized to fit your teeth, so that your dentist is able to bond them securely to the surface of the tooth with high-strength dental resins. The materials used in the fabrication of inlays and onlays are also considerably more durable than that used in conventional fillings. Consequently, inlays and onlays can act as a sound long-term solution to smaller failing dental restorations. They also strengthen the tooth’s structure and create an effective barrier against bacteria to prevent the formation of cavities. The fitting of onlays and inlays is a relatively routine procedure, with a short recovery time. There may be some slight tenderness in the area of your mouth where the inlay was fitted, but you can usually get on with your day as soon as you leave the dentist’s office.
Inlays and onlays can eliminate tooth sensitivity and by preserving decayed or damaged teeth, they can help ensure that patients don’t require more extensive dental treatment, such as bridges, implants or dental crowns, in the future. Most dentists agree that if a tooth’s structure is generally in good shape, it should be preserved as much as possible. The fitting of inlays and onlays involves much less tooth reduction than is the case with metal fillings, so that much more of the tooth’s natural tooth structure is retained following the treatment process.
Onlays and inlays are a very suitable alternative to fillings made from composite resin or metal amalgam fillings, particularly if the majority of the enamel is no longer present. Metal fillings can expand or contract with the hot or cold temperature of your food. This process can weaken your teeth and cause fractures. Inlays and onlays will not undergo such fluctuations in their size and are also securely bonded into place, unlike metal fillings. As a result, inlays and onlays can actually serve to strengthen teeth, sometimes by as much as seventy five percent. Inlays and onlays are also very durable and can last for thirty years or more, far longer than you can expect from conventional fillings.
More and more people today choose porcelain inlays and onlays as a means to replace fillings, as their older metal amalgam fillings begin to deteriorate. Since inlays and onlays can be made from tooth-colored material, such as porcelain, it can be almost impossible to tell the difference between the inlay or onlay and your actual tooth. Porcelain inlays and onlays look very natural and help to create a more attractive and healthier looking smile.