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Inlays and Onlays
Dental Inlays and Onlays in El Paso, TX
Restore a tooth’s surface and grooves after damage and decay threaten to weaken its structure.
Affordable Inlays and Onlays
The top surface of a tooth that is used for biting can easily become damaged over time. Food and bacteria can get caught in small grooves causing decay, while pressure and daily use can wear down the surface gradually. Accidents may damage the tooth further, chipping its cusps or weakening the tooth beyond what a filling can repair.
Still, such damage may not merit the need for a tooth crown. In such cases, dental inlays and onlays can be the best solution. Inlays and onlays are used to replace damaged surfaces and tooth grooves with metal, porcelain, or composite resin bonded to the tooth.
What Are the Differences Between Inlays, Onlays, and Crowns?
Tooth Crowns:
Dental crowns cover the entire tooth down to the gums. This custom cap resembles a natural tooth in color, shape, and size. It is sent milled and sculpted in a dental laboratory, except in the case of same-day crowns, for a precise fit and feel.
Inlays:
High-quality inlays and onlays are also sculpted in a dental lab to match the surface to which they are being bonded. Inlays, however, only fill in a surface within the cusps of a tooth. They are generally used when decay extends in the small grooves of a tooth and its inner surface.
Onlays:
When the damage to the tooth extends beyond its cusps or top ridges, an onlay will be created to restore the entire top surface. For inlays, onlays, and crowns, a custom mold will be created so that the restorative prosthetic can be sculpted to fit the precise space of the natural tooth (or part of the tooth) it will be replacing. Once the inlay, onlay, or crown has been created in the lab, our El Paso dentist will bond the prosthetic in place, ensuring a comfortable fit before sealing the permanent inlay, only, or crown to the remaining tooth.
El Paso’s Best Cosmetic Dentist Invisalign Cost Me?
Weakened teeth from decay or damage can continue to deteriorate without a protective and restorative cover like dental inlays or onlays. For natural-looking prosthetics, more and more patients are choosing porcelain or composite resin inlays and onlays that last for years and match the color of teeth.
Protect and preserve your teeth from further damage with dental inlays and onlays provided by the best cosmetic dentist in El Paso, TX. Dr. Harrell makes an extra effort to form strong relationships with all his patients and provide them with the best care for their ongoing oral health. Set up an appointment with him today to discuss inlay and onlay treatments that may offer the affordable solution your teeth need!
