Everything You Should Know About Dental Inlays & Onlays

When it comes to oral appliances for restoring teeth, how much do you really know? Restorative dentistry is a specialty of dental health that best cares for teeth by employing different oral devices.

When it comes to oral appliances for restoring teeth, how much do you really know? Restorative dentistry is a specialty of dental health that best cares for teeth by employing different oral devices. The appliances help reinforce the strength of teeth, repair them, and restore them to optimal functionality. Examples of such oral appliances include dental implants, dental crowns, and dental inlays and onlays.

The significance of inlays and onlays in Edmonton is better understood by dental experts than by patients. However, if you are looking to have your teeth treated by these oral appliances, learning more about what they are and how they are used will be to your advantage.

What Are Onlays and Inlays?

They are types of dental fillings that are used to repair and restore teeth that have been damaged. Ideally, the damaged part of a tooth is removed, and then the dentist has to determine the type of filling to be placed. While both an inlay and an onlay are types of dental fillings, they differ from the typical kinds of oral fillings.

Onlays and inlays are made from porcelain material, which makes for a sturdy type of dental filling. Besides, the porcelain does not contract or expand with time like is the case with metal-based types of oral fillings. Further, the porcelain does not shrink like with composite fillings, which means you never have to worry about the possibilities of marginal cavities that form around the onlay or inlay filling.

What Is the Difference Between Inlays and Onlays?

Both inlays and onlays in Edmonton, AB, are offered to treat damaged teeth, as types of fillings. However, they are different based on how they are used to repair teeth.

Inlays – they are fillings that are made for repairing the cusps and pits of teeth. They are mostly used for the back teeth, filling only the pits and fissures of a tooth of the chewing surfaces.

Onlays – they are larger fillings than inlays. They fill all the cusps of a tooth, instead of only the pit and depression. In essence, an onlay would cover the entire chewing surface of a tooth, which is a larger part than that which is covered by an inlay.

Are They Similar to Dental Crowns?

The similarity of inlays & onlays near you and dental crowns should only come in where they are all used for repairing and restoring damaged teeth. However, dental crowns are the largest of these three, usually covering the entire tooth.

When Should Inlays and Onlays Be Used?

This should not concern you as much, since your attending dentist will come up with a treatment plan that works best for you. Ideally, you reserve the choice to pick between a traditional dental filling and an inlay. When it comes to getting onlays, they are mostly used when the damaged part of your tooth is too big for correction with an inlay. On the other hand, onlays are used when the damage incurred on your tooth is not big enough to merit installing a dental crown.

Should You Get Onlays and Inlays?

These types of dental fillings are very effective for repairing and restoring damaged teeth. Whether your tooth is broken or you have a serious case of dental decay, you can bank on these oral appliances to restore your smile. If you are still on edge about these oral appliances, consider the following benefits:

1. They are aesthetically appealing – the porcelain material used to create them blends well with natural teeth. Besides, having that they are tooth-colored, a dentist can easily pick out a color that closest matches that of your natural teeth.
2. They are less invasive than dental crowns – since they do not cover the entire enamel of your tooth, not much of your tooth’s enamel is removed to make room for an onlay or inlay.
3. They are resistant to stains – compared to composite fillings, inlays, and onlays resist stains much better. However, you must still determine to be intentional about oral hygiene, to preserve the state of your onlays or inlays for a long time.
4. They are easier to clean – without any margins of cavities in your tooth like is the case with traditional dental fillings, you will find these oral appliances easier to maintain.