What Are Inlays and Onlays?

Inlays are used to fill damage within the grooves of a tooth, covering the chewing surface without extending over the cusps (the tooth’s outer edges). Onlays, sometimes called partial crowns, extend over one or more cusps, restoring teeth with more extensive damage. Both inlays and onlays are crafted in our dental lab, ensuring a precise fit and a natural match to your tooth color.

When Are They Recommended?

Our prosthodontists may recommend an inlay or onlay in cases such as:

• Moderate Tooth Decay: Too large for a filling but not needing a full crown.
• Cracks or Fractures: Restores and reinforces the tooth’s structure.
• Replacing Old Fillings: Offers a longer-lasting, stronger alternative.
• Conserving Tooth Structure: Repairs only the damaged portion, preserving more of your natural tooth than crowns.

Key Benefits of Inlays and Onlays

1. Durability and Strength

Our inlays and onlays are made from durable materials like porcelain and composite resin, which can withstand daily biting forces. They are much more durable than traditional fillings, often lasting up to 10 to 30 years with good care.

2. Natural Look and Feel

Inlays and onlays are custom-designed to blend with your tooth color, making them virtually indistinguishable from natural teeth. This makes them ideal for teeth visible when you smile, creating a seamless look.

3. Conserves Healthy Tooth Structure

Unlike crowns, which cover the entire tooth, inlays and onlays replace only the damaged portion, leaving more of your healthy tooth intact. This is crucial for preserving tooth strength and health over time.

4. Enhanced Fit and Comfort

Custom-crafted for a perfect fit, inlays and onlays restore the tooth’s function without discomfort. Their precise fit also prevents food particles and bacteria from getting trapped, lowering the risk of future decay.

5. Less Sensitivity

The materials used in inlays and onlays, porcelain and composite resin, closely resemble natural enamel, making them less likely to react to hot and cold foods than metal fillings. This reduces sensitivity and keeps you comfortable.

The Treatment Process

Receiving an inlay or onlay usually involves two visits. During the first, our prosthodontists will remove any damaged areas and take an impression for the lab. A temporary filling is placed on the tooth, and, in the second visit, the custom inlay or onlay is bonded permanently, ensuring a secure and comfortable fit.

Caring for Inlays and Onlays

Maintaining inlays and onlays involves brushing twice daily, flossing and regular dental checkups. Avoid chewing on hard items like ice or candy to prevent damage, and see our prosthodontists to monitor their condition over time.

Conclusion

Dental inlays and onlays offer a conservative and effective way to restore damaged teeth, combining strength, durability and a natural look. If you are considering this option, talk to our one of our prosthodontists about whether inlays or onlays might be the right solution for achieving a healthier, more radiant smile.

Call to Learn More

Our Denver Restorative Dentistry team in Broomfield, Colorado, encourages you to stay on top of your oral health by scheduling regular check-ups and cleanings and addressing any concerns as soon as they arise. If you would like to know more about how to optimize your smile, please call 303-586-1019 to schedule a consultation with one of our skilled prosthodontists, Drs. Goggins, Aguirre or Chertok.

The Progressive Nature of Dental Problems

One of the primary reasons early intervention is so crucial in restorative dentistry is the progressive nature of dental problems. Many common issues, such as cavities, chipped teeth or gum disease, start small and are relatively manageable. For example, a small cavity may require nothing more than a simple filling to restore the tooth to full function. However, if left untreated, that same cavity can grow, eventually compromising the entire tooth structure. At that point, more extensive treatment, such as a crown or even a root canal, may be necessary. In severe cases, the tooth might be too damaged to save, leading to the need for extraction and replacement with an implant or bridge.

Gum Disease: A Condition Where Timing Matters

Gum disease, or periodontal disease, is another condition where early intervention is key. In its early stages, known as gingivitis, gum disease is often reversible with proper treatment and good oral hygiene care. However, if allowed to progress to periodontitis, the condition can cause permanent damage to the gums, teeth, and the bone that supports them. Periodontitis can lead to tooth loss and has been linked to other serious health issues, including heart disease and diabetes. By addressing gum disease early, you can avoid the need for more invasive treatments and reduce your risk of systemic health complications.

Financial Benefits of Addressing Dental Issues Early

Beyond the physical aspects of dental health, early intervention also has significant financial benefits. Restorative dental procedures can be expensive, especially when they involve multiple teeth or complex treatments. By addressing issues early, you can often avoid the need for more costly procedures down the road. For example, a filling is far less expensive than a crown, and a crown is less expensive than an implant. Additionally, most dental insurance plans cover preventive care, such as regular cleanings and exams at little to no cost to the patient. Taking advantage of these benefits can save you significant money in the long run.

Patient Comfort: Less Invasive Treatments

Patient comfort is another important consideration. Early intervention typically involves less invasive treatments, which can mean less discomfort during and after the procedure. For instance, treating a small cavity with a filling is a quick and relatively painless process. On the other hand, more extensive procedures, such as root canals or tooth extractions, often require more time in the dental chair, a longer recovery period and may involve some initial level of discomfort. By seeking treatment early, you can often avoid these more invasive procedures.

Our Commitment to Early Intervention and Preventive Care

At Denver Restorative Dentistry in Broomfield, Colorado, we believe in the power of early intervention and preventive care as well as providing you with all your restorative dentistry needs. We encourage our patients to stay on top of their oral health by scheduling regular check-ups and cleanings and addressing any concerns as soon as they arise.

Please contact us at 303-586-1019 to schedule a consultation with one of our talented dentists, Drs. Goggins, Aguirre or Chertok. Don’t wait until a small problem becomes a big one—schedule your appointment today and take the first step toward a healthier, happier smile!

Our experienced prosthodontists can offer you options allowing you to once again have full functionality of your mouth with beneficial aesthetics so you look (and feel your) best. A full-mouth reconstruction expertly fixes damage to your mouth, including severe decay that leaves you needing to replace multiple teeth or even all of them. This is done carefully, combining esthetics and the science of restorative dentistry to give you your life back with a healthy, beautiful and fully functioning mouth again.

Who Benefits From Full Mouth Reconstruction

If you have multiple missing teeth, teeth with large dental fillings that are now failing or showing further decay, have cracked or broken teeth or badly eroded teeth from habitual bruxism, where you constantly grind your teeth together (typically from stress).

Patients who were born with medical conditions like Ectodermal Dysplasia, Ameliogenesis or Dentinogenisis Imperfecta, often turn to help for extensive restoration of their teeth. A full mouth reconstruction can often give them the smile they need and desire. This might mean using onlays, crowns, bridges, veneers, dental implants, and/or dentures that will give them a “smile makeover” while also enhancing their chewing efficiency.

After a thorough evaluation by our prosthodontists, you might be a good candidate for full-mouth reconstruction to restore your oral health. Damaged teeth, tooth decay, dental infection and periodontal disease (advanced gum disease) may be the reason you may want to look into full mouth reconstruction. View full mouth reconstruction photos from previously satisfied patients.

Complimentary Consultation

Our prosthodontists, Drs. Goggins, Aguirre, Pitz, Poineal and Chertok are experts that have performed many full-mouth reconstructions between them. They know exactly what your smile needs to look and feel great so you can smile with confidence. When you schedule your FREE consultation with our Denver Restorative Dentistry team in Broomfield, Colorado, we will evaluate your smile’s current state and recommend the best treatment to boost your overall smile needs. Whether you need a combination of bridges, crowns, dental implants, veneers, fillings or dentures, we’ve got your smile covered! Call 303-586-1019 today!

Dental Fillings

You have probably already had a dental filling done before and it is one of our most common treatments for tooth issues caused by cavities, fractures or chips in a tooth. By placing a dental filling, our prosthodontists can restore your tooth’s original form and function so your smile can continue to thrive. At Denver Restorative Dentistry, we provide patients with a choice of either amalgam fillings or composite fillings. Both are excellent options for restoring damaged teeth.

When you come in for your dental filling treatment, you will be made comfortable so you can relax while we work. The treatment is done in just one visit to our office. First, we will remove any damaged and decayed areas of the tooth. Then we will clean the area so it is pristine and ready to be filled with your filling material of choice which will be contoured to your tooth’s shape so it can blend right in. Lastly, the filling fill is hardened so it can protect your tooth for many years to come!

Dental Inlays and Onlays

The other options we offer for tooth repairs are inlays and onlays. These are also great at fixing tooth damage and decay. Inlays and onlays are used when a tooth needs more protection than a filling can provide, but not as extensive as to require a dental crown. In fact, inlays and onlays are referred to as partial crowns and are crafted specifically to your tooth using either porcelain, composite resin or gold. Just as with fillings, our goal is to restore your natural tooth’s health, structure, function and looks. Inlays and onlays appear so natural that they are hardly noticeable. They also preserve the structure of your tooth. So when do you need an inlay versus an onlay? We will apply an inlay when the damage doesn’t extend to the cusp of the tooth, while an onlay is applied when there is cusp damage.

Don’t Delay, Call Today!

If you have one or more damaged teeth in your smile, we encourage you to get them evaluated and treated as soon as possible so that you can preserve the natural tooth. Whether you need a dental filling or a dental inlay or onlay, our skilled prosthodontists are ready to take care of all your dental needs. Please give us a call today at 303-586-1019 if you need help with your teeth, gums, breath or TMJ’s (jaw).

– Dental crowns are a tooth restoration procedure that can completely conceal a tooth down to the gum line to not only give it the look you desire but also to prevent any further damage from occurring to the tooth.

– Dental fillings are wonderful treatment options used to fill in the gaps for teeth that have been ravaged by cavities. Dental amalgams are great for large teeth and durability, while tooth-colored composites can be used to maintain the natural appearance of your teeth and are great choices for small and medium-sized cavities.

– Dental veneers are highly effective forms of cosmetic dentistry that are directly bonded to the fronts of teeth and can take any challenging teeth and hide the damage or irregularities behind a beautiful façade.

– Teeth whiteners are implemented to make your natural teeth whiter and brighter by removing deep stains and discolorations, with professional whiteners working by applying gel to your teeth that is safe, effective, and able to vastly improve the color of your teeth in a single day.

No matter which tooth restoration service you choose, the real importance is the oral health benefits each can provide. If you would like Dr. Taylor Goggins and our team at Denver Restorative Dentistry to bring you in for an oral exam to determine which treatment is best for you, please contact our dentist office in Broomfield, Colorado, by calling us at 303-586-1019. We can get you on the path to smiles for miles!