A guide to restoring smiles back to peak health, beauty with conservative inlays and onlays
At High Forest Dental, your happiness is our peak priority. Led by Dr. Allison Brown, our team in Littleton, Colorado, supports happy smiles and a pleasant process of maintaining or restoring healthy, beautiful teeth and gums with conservative (tooth-preserving) procedures. We have enlisted advanced technologies as the perfect complement to our kind, nonjudgmental, and highly knowledgeable team.Â
Dental inlays and onlays
Inlays and onlays fit in well with our approaches for utmost comfort and patient satisfaction with their new and improved teeth! These restorative dentistry treatments are designed to be a more conservative alternative to full crowns. They may be an ideal option for patients whose teeth have sustained less extensive damage.Â
Planned and designed to address your unique needs and made from the most attractive and durable dental materials, each inlay or onlay is applied and seamlessly fitted to the existing prepared tooth structure. Once secured to the tooth, it should look and feel no different from the surrounding tooth or neighboring unaltered and healthy teeth. Additionally, inlays and onlays can help prevent the need for future dental treatments. By preserving the natural tooth structure, they can also help prevent tooth loss.
Frequently Asked Questions about Inlays and Onlays
Are inlays and onlays the same?
They are similar but not identical. Both are personalized restorations utilized to fix teeth that have experienced moderate damage or decay. An inlay fits inside the grooves of a tooth, between the cusps. An onlay covers a larger area and may extend over one or more cusps of the tooth.
How does a dental onlay differ from a dental crown?
A dental onlay or partial crown repairs extensive tooth damage without having to remove the entire outer covering of your tooth. It repairs only the damaged portion, leaving the healthy tooth structure intact. A dental crown, on the other hand, covers the entire visible part of the tooth. We recommend onlays when the damage is too large for a filling but not severe enough for a full crown.
How long does it take to restore my tooth with a dental onlay?
Most onlay treatments can be done in about 2 hours. Your dentist prepares your tooth by removing the damaged or decayed portion. Then, scans are taken and your dentist will design and mill your restoration. Once that process has completed, your restoration will be tried in and cemented into place.
How do you ensure the procedure is comfortable?
Local anesthetics keep your gums numb throughout the procedure. You may feel pressure but not pain. If you are an anxious patient, we offer sedation dentistry to help you stay calm and relaxed. You may experience residual pain after treatment, but it’s usually mild and easy to manage with over-the-counter medications.
Will my restoration be noticeable in the mouth?
Not at all. Our inlays and onlays are made from tooth-colored materials such as porcelain or composite resin. These materials are designed to match the appearance of your natural teeth closely. Once placed, the restoration blends beautifully with your smile. That means your restoration is virtually undetectable, even when placed in the front teeth.
What is the lifespan of dental inlays and onlays?
Dental inlays and onlays are known for their durability. With proper care, they can last 10–20 years or longer. Their strength makes them an excellent choice for restoring molars and premolars that experience heavy chewing forces.
Do dental inlays and onlays need special maintenance?
Not really. You simply maintain good oral hygiene habits. Brush twice daily, floss regularly, and visit your dentist for routine check-ups. Also, avoid poor oral habits, such as nail biting and teeth grinding.
How much is a dental onlay or inlay in Littleton, CO?
The cost depends on the size of the restoration, the materials used, and the complexity of the case. We will provide a cost breakdown during your consultation. Rest assured, we won’t proceed until you understand your costing.
Does dental insurance cover the cost of an onlay?
Your insurance should cover the cost if your restoration is medically necessary to restore function. However, it’s important to remember that every coverage is unique. That’s why we emphasize that patients verify their coverage before any treatment begins.
Does my local dentist in Littleton offer dental onlays?
High Forest Dental is committed to helping you maintain a healthy, confident smile with high-quality dental restorations. If your tooth damage is too significant for a filling, but a dental crown is unnecessary, discover how dental inlays and onlays can restore your smile. Call (303) 951-3717 and schedule your appointment today!
What to expect
Dr. Brown may determine that you are a good candidate for an inlay or onlay if a cavity is too big to be adequately protected or strengthened with a simple filling alone. Patients with less tooth structure to bond the dental material to may be candidates for dental onlays instead. Also known as partial crowns, onlays are an alternative to crowns.Â
Dental crowns cover a tooth weakened by decay or other trauma. They may also be the only way to “save” an infected tooth that is preserved with root canal therapy. The crown is the last step in the treatment process. We can make these and other restorations at High Forest Dental in just one visit with Glidewell.io (same-day crown) technologies.
Inlays and onlays differ in notable ways. After the tooth has been numbed for utmost comfort, Dr. Brown will:
- Place and secure an inlay inside the reshaped and cleaned tooth; the inlay fits inside the cusps or points and resides in the grooved surface of the tooth.
- Apply and cement an onlay to both the grooved area of the tooth and at least one of the cusps.
Generally, conservative procedures are associated with a less aggressive, minimally invasive, natural-looking, and more durable treatment outcome. This benefit of tooth-preserving processes is due to our maximizing “what nature intended”: natural tooth structure. The more natural tissue preserved, the better off the patient will be, as these techniques optimally mimic the aesthetics, feel, and function of healthy teeth.
