Are Inlays and Onlays a Good Option for Restoring a Broken Tooth?
When someone goes to a dentist with a damaged tooth, they expect dental crowns or fillings. However, in some instances, more than these restorations will be needed. Therefore, the dentist in Chester Springs will use other more ideal options. Read on to learn if and why inlays & onlays near you are excellent options for restoring broken teeth.
What Can Cause a Broken Tooth?
A broken tooth causes intense pain and affects your smile and dental function. Your tooth can break for various reasons, including some of the following.
- Biting down or chewing on a hard substance
- Dental trauma to the mouth due to an accident or sports injury
- Excessive teeth grinding or jaw clenching
- Enamel deterioration due to poor dental care
- Large tooth cavities that compromise the structure and strength of a tooth
What Are Inlays and Onlays?
Inlays and onlays are dental restorations used for repairing damaged teeth. They are bigger than dental fillings but smaller than dental crowns. The dentist near you will use them to restore a decayed, chipped, or broken tooth. This will preserve the tooth, strengthen it and prevent further damage. In addition, the indirect restorations restore the tooth’s function and look.
Inlays and onlays are fabricated from tooth-colored materials customized to match the shade of nearby teeth. This makes them unnoticeable when you open your mouth. The dentist will create them in a dental lab using specifications from the damaged tooth. They will then expertly bond them on the tooth to repair the damage leaving it as good as new.
When Are Inlays and Onlays a Good Option for Restoring a Broken Tooth?
Your dentist will use inlays and onlays when a tooth is too damaged to repair using a filling but not too much to need a crown. Inlays and onlays function in a similar way to dental fillings and crowns. However, they are more convenient. They do more than fill and restore a tooth without covering it entirely.
Inlays are tooth restorations that function like dental fillings. They fix tooth damage that occurs within the biting surface but does not impact the cusps. Your dentist will use these indirect restorations when a tooth is broken between the sharp pointed edges.
Dental onlays resemble crowns but do not cover the entire tooth surface. Instead, they cover only the part of the tooth that needs repair. That is why they are known as partial crowns. The dentist in Chester Springs will use them to repair tooth defects extending over the cusps.
Inlays are an excellent option for restoring teeth likely to chip or fracture when fixed with fillings. This usually occurs when a large filling is used to restore the tooth. Onlays are ideal for repairing extensive damage and preserving a larger portion of your natural tooth. They are more conservative than crowns.
The Procedure for Getting Inlays and Onlays
Getting inlays and onlays is easy, fast, and pain-free. Below are the general steps of the inlays and onlays procedure at the Dentist of Chester Springs.
- The dentist will evaluate the tooth using modern digital imaging methods to examine the tooth properly. Next, they will discuss the results and the most suitable treatment option.
- The expert will then administer an anaesthetic to the tooth and surrounding tissues. It will help prevent pain during the procedure. They will also administer sedation if you are getting several teeth fixed, have extensive tooth damage, or have dental phobia. The sedative will relax you, so the dentist operates fast and efficiently.
- Your dentist will remove the decayed or damaged part of the tooth. They will ensure only a strong part of the structure remains.
- They will then take an impression of the tooth using imaging devices or a traditional mold. The images or impressions are sent to the lab to help fabricate a customized inlay or onlay.
- Your dentist will place a temporary onlay or inlay on the tooth. It will protect the tooth from more damage as you wait for permanent restorations. However, if your dentist uses the CEREC method, you will not need temporary restorations. They will fabricate the inlays and onlays as you wait.
- Finally, the dentist will place the restoration on the appropriate tooth area. They will use lasers to bond the material to your natural tooth.