Inlays and Onlays
Inlays and Onlays.
Inlays and Onlays are repairs used to restore teeth that have been damaged due to the presence of dental decay. Similarly, inlays and Onlays can be used for teeth that have been damaged in one way or another due to trauma.
The objective of Inlays and Onlays is to restore those teeth that are in the back of the oral cavity, due to damage caused by tooth decay or because of some kind of fracture or crack.
Inlays and Onlays can be made of different types of materials that can be similar to the patient’s teeth, such as resin, ceramic, porcelain, etc.
Inlays and Onlays are fabricated outside the oral cavity and placed in the damaged part, and then proceed to place them in the tooth that needs them.
What are Inlays?
Inlays are used to repair teeth that have been affected or damaged on their surface.
Inlays are used to make a restoration that at some point may compromise the integrity of the tooth, at the time of occlusion, such as amalgam restorations.
In order to make Inlays, an impression of the tooth that needs the restoration is made, then the dentist will send the impression to the dental technician, who will make it, following all the dentist’s instructions, with respect to the patient’s natural tooth color.
The dentist will check that the Inlays fit perfectly in the oral cavity and that the patient feels completely comfortable with it.
Inlays do not generate any type of discomfort because their materials are placed over the fissure, fracture, or damage, therefore, they are not in direct contact with any type of tissue of the oral cavity.
What are Onlays?
Onlays are used mainly on those teeth that are more damaged due to the presence of decay on their surfaces. Onlays are used when Inlays cannot help to repair the teeth.
Onlays are mainly used when there is damage to the cusp of a posterior tooth.
In addition, Onlay restorations help to provide an alternative to teeth to avoid the use of dental crowns, which require the tooth to be filed down.
Onlays can be easily bonded to the tooth surface after repairs have been made.
And just like Inlays, Onlys are made of materials that do not harm the patient in any way.
How long can Inlays and Onlays last in the patient’s mouth?
Inlays and Onlays are dental restorations that can last many years inside the oral cavity, more or less between 10 and 53 years, also depending on the care that the patient gives them since they can wear out faster if they do not enjoy good dental care.
The patient should follow his or her routine dental care, brushing his or her teeth with a soft-bristle toothbrush at least three times a day and flossing.
In addition, it is very important that the patient has regular dental check-ups, at least twice a year, to ensure that the Inlays and Onlays are in good condition.
In case the patient suffers from bruxism, the dentist may recommend the use of guards, which will prevent the patient from grinding his or her teeth and wear on the molars. Likewise, the patient should be careful not to chew very hard foods that may damage the restorations.
The duration of the Inlays and Onlays will depend mainly on the care that the patient applies to them.
Inlays vs. Dental fillings.
Inlays tend to be more durable than dental fillings because Inlays are cemented directly to the surface of the affected tooth and repair teeth that require larger amounts of material to be applied than Inlays.
On the other hand, dental fillings can be much more fragile and tend to break or crack more than Inlays.
But the great advantage of dental fillings is that they can be placed in the tooth much more quickly and easily than Inlays, which need an impression to make the restoration, and this could take days.
As for the price of both, it varies, depending on the number of restorations the patient needs, however, fillings tend to be much cheaper than Inlays.
- Dental Implants
- Dental Crown
- Dental Veneers
- Dental Bridges
- Aesthetic Dentistry
- Dental Prosthesis
- Dental X-ray
- Pedodontics
- Periodontology
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