Have you ever put off going to the dentist even though you had a tooth ache? Were you worried that you would get an unsightly filling that would ruin your perfect smile? There is no need to put off visiting the dentist anymore. Now with porcelain inlays and onlays, cosmetic dentists can repair your orthodontics without ruining your smile.
Advantages of Inlays and Onlays
Porcelain inlays and onlays are similar to typical dental fillings. In the past, when a cavity was removed, the tooth was filled with amalgam or another metallic substance. This filling was often visible and unsightly, making people cover up their orthodontics and feel insecure about their smiles.
With porcelain inlays and onlays, no one will ever know your orthodontics have been treated. Some of the advantages of onlays and inlays include:
- Tooth Preservation – Inlays and onlays preserve as much of your original tooth as possible. They are created in a dental lab by a skilled technician before your dentist fits and bonds them to your orthodontics.
- Look – The inlays and onlays are made out of porcelain and designed to blend in with your orthodontics. No one looking at your orthodontics would ever know that they have been treated.
- Color – Unlike fillings, porcelain inlays and onlays are stain resistant. They do not become discolored over time. Even years after being treated, your smile still looks wonderful.
- Fit – Some types of fillings can shrink during the curing process. Inlays and onlays do not shrink or expand. This ensures that they will have a tight fit and you will never have to worry about them becoming loose or visible.
- Easy Cleaning – Because the onlays and inlays are fitted perfectly onto your orthodontics, there is no difference cleaning a treated tooth than you would a normal tooth. Just following typical brushing and flossing procedures will keep your inlay or onlay clean and in great shape.
- Strong and Stable – Porcelain is a very sturdy material. Due to the perfect fitting of an onlay or inlay, a damaged tooth actually becomes reinforced and strengthened.
Procedure
A porcelain inlay or onlay procedure is completed in two dental visits. During the initial visit, the dentist will prepare your damaged for the inlay or onlay. A mold is taken of the tooth that needs to be treated and sent to a lab where the inlay or onlay is created. An inlay is needed if the porcelain needs to be bonded with the center of the tooth. An onlay is needed if one or more points of the biting surface of the tooth need to be treated.
During the second visit, your dentist will attach the inlay or onlay to your tooth. He or she will make certain that it is properly fitted and bonded. After that, the procedure is complete.