When you suffer from tooth decay, you first visit a dentist who would recommend restoring your tooth immediately. The type of restoration usually depends on the extent and severity of the tooth decay. Regular fillings help rebuild most of the tooth structure compromised due to caries. But when traditional fillings fail to restore your decayed tooth, inlays come into action.
The team of dental specialists in the Department of restorative dentistry in Buffalo Grove strives to provide their patients with a comprehensive approach through porcelain inlays to restore and rehabilitate damaged teeth. Porcelain inlays are preferred due to superior aesthetics and durability.
A comprehensive guide to porcelain inlays
A porcelain inlay is a type of dental restoration that is usually larger than a traditional filling but smaller than an onlay or a crown. It is a tooth-colored restoration fabricated indirectly in the lab by a dental technician. Digital impressions are used to create a model for fabricating porcelain inlays.
Porcelain inlays are excellent alternatives to conventional silver and composite fillings. This is because they are aesthetically superior, do not involve extensive tooth preparation, and preserve most of the natural tooth structure, unlike dental crowns.
Uses of porcelain inlays
Your dentist may recommend a porcelain inlay for the following reasons:
- Broken or fractured teeth sparing the cusps
- Large cavities that regular fillings cannot restore
- Cosmetic rejuvenation of the tooth
- Fractured fillings
How is a porcelain inlay fabricated and placed?
Fabricating a porcelain inlay may be a little more time-consuming since it is created indirectly in the dental lab.
During the first visit:
- Your dentist will evaluate your oral cavity to assess the affected tooth and the health of your supporting structures.
- Using a local anesthetic, the decayed tissues will be excavated and the tooth will be prepared accordingly.
- Several highly accurate manual or digital oral impressions will be recorded and sent to the lab.
- The technician will create a suitable working model to fabricate the inlay.
- Your dentist will select an appropriate shade that matches your natural teeth.
- A temporary filling will be provided to protect the tooth.
After 1 to 2 weeks
- Your dentist will remove the temporary filling and place the permanent porcelain inlay using suitable dental cement.
- The bite will be assessed to check for high points, and necessary adjustments will be made.
Final note
Porcelain inlays are valuable restorative procedures and excellent alternatives to regular fillings that fail to restore your decayed tooth and withstand the forces applied. Porcelain inlays would be the best choice since they greatly enhance your smile and overall dental health.
