Are you someone who avoids smiling when you get your photo taken? Or perhaps you cover your mouth when you laugh. Perhaps one of the most obvious signs that you need dental work is that you are embarrassed about the condition of your teeth. Maybe they are chipped or discoloured. Fortunately, porcelain inlays and onlays often provide a simple solution.
Treat tooth decay.
Left untreated, tooth decay can lead to major problems and even the loss of the tooth. The decay can even spread to adjacent teeth. For severe tooth decay, you may need a filling or even a tooth extraction. When the decay is caught early however, it may be possible to treat it with a porcelain inlay.
When your dentist uses the inlay to treat a cavity, he will likely need to remove part of the tooth in order to clear the decay. Once that is done, the porcelain inlay is boned to the centre of the tooth. More and more dentists these days are using porcelain inlays when possible to treat cavities because the procedure doesn’t require as much as the natural tooth to be removed as fillings do. Porcelain inlays are also stronger and longer lasting that regular fillings and the process usually takes less time.
Repair chipped teeth.
Maybe the reason you have for hiding your smile is that you have chipped teeth. Maybe you even find your chipped teeth affecting your in other ways – such as getting your tongue snagged on those rough edges. Porcelain onlays are often the solution to this problem.
Where porcelain inlays are placed in the centre or biting surface of the tooth, porcelain onlays are usually placed on the front of teeth – the part of your teeth that people see when you smile.
Onlays that are bonded to the surface of the tooth can cover chips and help give you a smile that you’ll be happy to show off!
Other Advantages of Porcelain Inlays and Onlays
In addition to the benefits we already mentioned, porcelain inlays and onlays also have several other advantages including:
- They are matched to the colour of your natural teeth and resist staining.
- They fit securely meaning that it will be easier to clean your teeth.
- They help to strengthen your existing teeth.
If you think that porcelain inlays or onlays might be right for you, contact Sapphire Dental today to schedule an appointment with one of our dentists.