Inlays & Onlays Green Bay, WI
When it comes to restoring and repairing your smile, there are more options today than ever before. Much of today’s dental work focuses on retaining as much of your natural bone as possible before turning to things like tooth extraction, which is good news for patients suffering from even moderate decay in their teeth.
There are a variety of options that can help restore your teeth rather than replace them. Some of them are more invasive than others, of course, but the truth is that there are great options that don’t have to be overly invasive at all. Inlays and onlays, for example, are tooth restoration techniques that are great options for a variety of people.
What are Inlays and Onlays?
Dental onlays and inlays are restoration techniques that are used to help repair teeth, particularly back teeth, that suffer from moderate or mild decay. They are also used to help repair fractured or cracked teeth that are not so badly injured that they need a dental crown. Instead of covering your tooth with a crown, in other words, using dental onlays or inlays is an option that helps you keep as much of your original tooth as possible. We essentially cut out the damaged or decayed part of your tooth, and then replace it with onlays and inlays made from durable, tough material that is sculpted to fit your existing tooth.
Benefits of Inlays and Onlays
One of the biggest benefits of opting for an inlay or an onlay rather than a more traditional filling is that inlays and onlays can actually work to strengthen your teeth by as much as 75 percent. Metal fillings, on the other hand, can actually work against your teeth and reduce their strength by as much as 50 percent. Additionally, onlays and inlays are created from durable materials that will last for years. That means that you will spend less time in a dentist’s office and more time doing the kinds of things you like to do. And because they work to promote tooth health and can actually prolong the life of your tooth, inlays and onlays are great at maintaining your healthy smile for the foreseeable future, too.
How are Inlays and Onlays Installed?
The first thing that we’ll do is determine whether or not you have old fillings that need to be replaced or removed. If so, those will be removed and an impression of your tooth will be taken. That mold is then used to create the inlay or onlay that will fit your tooth. These are typically placed during your next appointment. Keep in mind that both inlays and onlays are designed to blend with your teeth in order to create a uniform and natural appearance.
The overall procedure for installing onlays and inlays is a fairly simple one. It does take two appointments; however, they are only about an hour long each. The recovery process should also be fairly quick.
Schedule an Appointment
If you are interested in learning more about inlays or onlays, contact us at (920) 278-7678 today to see how we can help restore and preserve your smile. |