When you need a decayed or weakened tooth restored to its normal strength and health, come see us at Dental Arts in Seminole. We offer a variety of options that can give you back your normal bite and restore the look of your natural tooth.
Everyone is familiar with dental fillings, but have you heard of inlays and onlays? They’re great options for situations where decay has seriously impaired the tooth’s structural strength. Inlays and onlays are ways to restore damaged teeth or decayed teeth to normal functioning.
Inlays and onlays are approaches to repairing damaged teeth. Inlays and onlays are used when too much of the tooth has been weakened for a simple filling to do the job.
Inlays and onlays can be made of porcelain, tooth-colored resin, or gold. Metals tend to last longer and are more durable, but porcelain and resin blend in and give a more natural look.
Inlays are restorative options that repair large areas of the interior of the tooth. They give a damaged tooth normal strength while protecting the tooth from further decay. In contrast to large fillings, which can crack, shatter or fragment, inlays strengthen a tooth from the inside out. However, inlays don’t replace all of a tooth’s chewing surface, and as such, are not caps.
Onlays, just like inlays, are the go-to solution for a heavily damaged tooth. Like an inlay, large cavities are the target for onlays. However, onlays replace the raised parts of the chewing surfaces of the tooth, called tooth cusps. Onlays don’t cover the tooth’s complete chewing surface, so they’re not considered caps nor crowns. Like inlays, they come in tooth-colored resin, gold, metal alloys, and metal alloys. Onlays replace a larger part of the tooth than inlays.
At Dental Arts in Seminole, we can help you decide which solution is right for you. Our goal is to help you preserve as much of your natural tooth as possible. A natural tooth solution will help you chew more normally and with greater confidence in a smile that will last for years!