San Francisco and Marin CA
Sometimes, a patient has a tooth with decay that is too significant to be repaired with a filling, but the area is too small for a crown. In these cases, the dentists at Glen Park Dental may recommend an inlay or onlay to repair the damage and save the tooth.
At Glen Park Dental, we use two types of inlays and onlays: those made of dental porcelain, and those made from a composite resin. Our staff will determine prior to treatment which type of inlay or onlay is right for each patient, and make the appropriate recommendations regarding your oral care needs.
What are inlays and onlays?
Though they are made the same way, dental inlays and onlays are slightly different. An inlay restores the chewing surface of a tooth. An onlay repairs larger areas of damage; typically, it is used to restore an area that encompasses multiple cusps of a tooth (the tiny bumps on the top of the tooth’s chewing surface), in addition to the chewing surface itself.
The dentists at Glen Park Dental also can replace old silver fillings with either an inlay or onlay.
Inlays and onlays are considered the ideal treatment for intermediate areas of damage because a greater quantity of the natural tooth structure is retained—as opposed to a crown, which replaces the entire exterior structure.
What should I expect from an inlay or onlay procedure?
The installation of either an inlay or an onlay takes less time and is less expensive than other, more extensive restorations such as crowns.
An inlay or onlay can typically be completed in a single visit to our office. We may need to take impressions and X-rays of your mouth, which are both used in the fabrication of a porcelain inlay or onlay. Whether using composite or porcelain material, the dentist will permanently bond the restoration into the tooth, following the removal of any damaged tooth structure.
To learn more about inlays and onlays, or any of the other restorative treatments offered at Glen Park Dental, contact our office at (415) 585-1500 to schedule an appointment.
Glen Park Dental provides comprehensive, compassionate, quality oral health care for patients in the areas of San Francisco and Marin California.
