Ceramic Dentistry

Calgary Tooth Restoration: Inlays & Onlays

More conservative than a crown, inlays and onlays are a minimally invasive cosmetic dentistry treatment used to restore a damaged or decayed tooth to its original condition.

Some of the reasons you may require an inlay/onlay include:

• Broken or fractured teeth
• Cosmetic enhancement
• Decayed teeth
• Fractured fillings

At Dr. Korol Dental, our dentists provide a variety of restorative dentistry solutions such as partial crowns, onlays, inlays and restorations using mercury-free fillings to ensure the long-term health of your mouth and body.

Inlay vs Onlay: What’s The Difference?

Both inlays and onlays are created in a lab before being bonded to the damaged or decayed tooth. The difference of use depends on the amount of tooth structure that has been lost.

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How is an Inlay/Onlay Procedure Performed?

It takes two appointments for the inlays and onlays treatment to be completed and finally bonded to the damaged area of the tooth. They are performed using very similar procedures.

1st Visit: Prep

During this first visit, your dentist will numb the treated area with a local anesthetic. Any decay or damage is removed by drilling. This is to clean and prepare the tooth for the dental inlay or onlay.

During this appointment, your dentist will also take an impression of the damaged tooth and sends it to a dental lab where a customized inlay/onlay is created.

2nd Visit: Placement

During this second visit, your dentist will remove the temporary restoration and ensure that the inlay/onlay fits perfectly before bonding it to the tooth with a strong resin adhesive.

The treatment is often completed with a polish to ensure a smooth and aesthetically pleasing finish.

Benefits of Inlays/Onlays

Dental inlays and onlays are restorations used to repair teeth with mild-moderate decay, which are not sufficiently damaged enough to need a crown.

They have many benefits including:

• Our inlays/onlays are made from tough, mercury-free, biocompatible materials which can last many years if taking care of properly.
• They help strengthen teeth by up to 75%, unlike traditional metal fillings which can actually reduce the strength of your teeth.
• Inlays and onlays prolong tooth life and prevent the need for more extensive dental treatment in the future.

Conserving Tooth Structure: Inlays & Onlays vs Crowns

If you have a badly damaged tooth that may have lost some of its structure due to trauma or disease, then our dentists can suggest the best way of restoring it. This will depend on two main things:

• The amount of tooth structure that has been lost
• The overall strength of the tooth

We may suggest a crown if...	Your tooth is badly broken and has lost a lot of it structure It has substantial decay or has had a root canal therapy With a crown, your entire tooth will be covered down to the gum line. It provides substantial protection for a badly damaged tooth, fully sealing it to prevent further infection.
We may suggest an inlay/onlay/partial crown if...	You have a large cavity in one of your teeth that cannot be repaired with an ordinary filling but where the tooth isn’t badly enough damaged to need a full crown Inlays/onlays/partial crowns can protect the weak areas of the damaged teeth. This strength and stability is necessary to help nurse the tooth back to health.

 

Mercury-Free, Biocompatible Materials in Tooth Restoration

At Dr. Korol Dental, all of our tooth restorations use only the best, most biocompatible, mercury-free materials.

Our dentists strive to preserve your natural tooth structure, provide durable and long-lasting restorations, therefore decreasing the risk of failed treatment and the need for extensive root canals in the long term.

Learn More: Our Commitment To Biocompatible Materials & Your Holistic Well-Being

Learn More

To learn more about our dental inlay/onlay treatments and our commitment to mercury-free, biocompatible dental materials, contact our Calgary dentist at 403-245-9099.