When it comes to restoring moderately damaged teeth, inlays and onlays, offer significant advantages over traditional fillings or crowns by prioritizing the preservation of your natural tooth structure. Let’s explore key benefits that make inlay/onlay restorations an excellent choice for many patients.
Inlay/Onlay Restorations Are Minimally-Invasive and Conservative
Compared to fitting a full dental crown, inlays and onlays require far less preparation and removal of your existing tooth material. This preserves more of your natural enamel, reducing brittleness and sensitivity.
While crowns often necessitate significant tooth reshaping to accommodate the bulky crown material, inlays/onlays are custom-fabricated to fit securely within the boundaries of your remaining natural tooth.
Dental inlays fit within the grooves of your tooth’s biting surface, while onlays provide slightly broader coverage over one or more cusps. This conservative approach means less of your healthy tooth structure needs to be sacrificed.
Prolonged, Natural-Looking Function
Because inlays and onlays are precisely crafted using durable, tooth-colored materials like composite resin or porcelain, they can add over a decade of functional life to a moderately damaged tooth.
Once restored, the custom fit, secured bonding process, and lifelike materials help inlays/Onlays feel and function like your natural tooth. The strengthened structure supports comfortable, reliable biting and chewing capabilities.
Additionally, the tooth-colored materials and biocompatible nature of inlays/onlays allow them to seamlessly blend in with the surrounding teeth for a beautifully natural-looking smile.
A Conservative Solution When Possible
While dental crowns are sometimes necessary to restore severely damaged teeth, inlays and onlays, provide a more conservative and preservative solution when appropriate. Key advantages include:
- More affordable than crowns
- Help avoid potential root canal needs
- Preserve maximum healthy tooth structure
- Natural feel, function, and appearance
- Reversible procedure if future intervention is needed
The Precision Dentistry of Olympia Approach for Inlay/Onlays
Our team takes a biomimetic approach to restorative dentistry. Our philosophy focuses on preserving your natural teeth and restoring them as conservatively as possible to extend their functional life.
That’s why we advocate for inlays and onlays as the preferred therapeutic solution for many cases of moderate tooth decay or damage. During your consultation, we’ll evaluate your situation and thoroughly explain all suitable treatment options.
If an inlay or onlay is the right choice for preserving your tooth, you can feel confident in our experienced team’s ability to deliver this precise, durable, and lifelike restoration. We strive to help you keep your natural smile beautiful and functional for as long as possible.
