When Is a Dental Inlay Your Best Option?

If your dentist detects tooth decay or other damage in your tooth needing restoration, you might wonder if you are due for dental fillings because you think it is the only solution. However, you might need to be aware of other restorations helpful to fix tooth damage, as you might never have heard about them. For example, how would you react if your dentist suggested you might benefit from dental inlays or Onlays besides fillings to restore the damaged tooth?

You might want to know what is a dental inlay and onlay and how it differs from dental fillings. You might also ask the dentist in Bronxville why your tooth damage needs restoration with this specific filler and why the dentist recommends the same for your tooth damage.

This article focuses on why a dental inlay might be appropriate for your situation and how it differs from other restorative therapies. Kindly read more information on the subject that on this subject.

What Are Inlays?

Dental inlays are prefabricated fillings that help restore the grooves of your tooth. Inlays are generally used to repair cavities located in the tooth’s center instead of the edges or cusps. In addition, inlays are beneficial when the hole has not progressed into extensive tooth decay.

Getting dental inlays to restore your tooth is relatively painless. The dentist will numb the damaged area around the tooth with local anesthesia and drill the affected tooth to clean the decay. After cleaning the tooth, the Bronxville dentist impressions it for a dental laboratory to fabricate the restoration. Porcelain or composite resin helps make dental inlays match the shade of your natural tooth. Inlays provide invisible dental restorations that are more durable than regular fillings.

How an Inlay Differs from Onlays or Fillings?

You might think inlays are appealing after reading the information above. Getting inlays might be ideal if you have minor tooth decay, fracture, or other damage to the tooth. However, sometimes other restorations are necessary to fix tooth damage.

For example, dental Onlays help restore a tooth with extensive damage spreading to the biting surface or the cusps. Alternatively, inlays are ideal for cavities in the grooves of a tooth, but an onlay covers the cusps around the edges of the tooth. The procedure for getting inlays or Onlays is similar, with the dentist numbing the tooth with local anesthesia, removing decayed or damaged tooth material, and inserting a temporary dental Onlay. The dentist also makes impressions of the tooth for the dental lab to fabricate your restoration, which you receive after a week. It is why dental inlays and Onlays are called indirect fillings.

You might have heard about dental fillings or possibly have one in your teeth. Fillers help fix minor tooth damage in a small area of your tooth after the Bronxville dentist cleans out the cavity. Various materials help make dental fillings, including metals, composite resin, porcelain, and acrylic resin. Unfortunately, metal fillings weaken the tooth’s integrity by 50 percent, while inlays and Onlays made from porcelain or composite resin strengthen the tooth by 75 percent, helping the restoration last five to 30 years.

While dental fillings need one appointment with the dentist to restore the tooth inlays, or Onlays require multiple appointments because of prefabrication from a dental laboratory to cover larger damaged areas. Therefore it helps if you consider inlays and Onlays as the go-to restorations; when fillings are insignificant, to fix the tooth and a dental crown is too extensive for the tooth.

When Does the Dentist Recommend Inlays?

You may receive a recommendation for dental inlays in Bronxville if the biting surface of your tooth is broken, fractured, or decayed and the damage is extensive to need a large dental filling that could weaken the remaining structure. However, the injury doesn’t require sufficient tooth structure removal to accommodate a dental crown.

Dental Inlays Post Procedure Care

Dental inlays are durable, but the initial 48 hours after getting them are crucial. You must avoid foods and beverages of the scorching or freezing variety and refrain from having sticky and hard foods. You must prefer soft foods for a few days to give your mouth some rest. You might experience soreness or numbness for a couple of days after the procedure. After the discomfort subsides, you can get back to your dental hygiene routine.

Dental inlays, Onlays, and fillings are ideal for restoring damaged and decayed teeth. However, you must discuss with your dentist the restoration best suited for your needs. For example, getting inlays might be suitable for you because of their durability and strength, and the procedure promotes the longevity of your teeth.

Regardless of which restorative material you receive in your tooth, you must continue maintaining excellent dental hygiene by brushing twice daily, flossing once, and getting six monthly oral prophylaxis to minimize the risk of cavities or other damage in your teeth.

If you need a long-lasting and durable restoration on a damaged tooth, Bronxville dentistry suggests dental inlays as better than fillings. Consult with this practice for the best restorative material for your tooth by preparing to visit them a couple of times for repair.