When you visit your cosmetic dentist serving Park Ridge, she may recommend any of several cosmetic dentistry procedures to improve the look and function of your teeth. If your dentist has advised you to consider dental inlays or onlays, then read on to learn more about these treatments.

Inlays and onlays are excellent alternatives to metal fillings.

For many years, the use of metal fillings to restore broken or damaged teeth was standard practice. However, these filling materials are conspicuous and cause many people who have them to feel self-conscious about smiling and laughing. Inlays and onlays use tooth-colored materials to restore the look and function of teeth, making them a practical solution that provides patients a more natural look than metal fillings.

Inlays and onlays offer patients many benefits.

The use of inlays and onlays is preferred amongst many cosmetic dentists because of the benefits that these restorations can offer their patients. First, treatment with inlays and onlays is a simple procedure that usually requires only a couple of visits to the dentist. Also, the porcelain or composite materials that are used to make inlays and onlays are designed to be indistinguishable from the color of the patient’s teeth, providing a natural-looking outcome. Finally, inlays and onlays allow dentists to preserve more of the patient’s natural tooth structure than some of the other restorative options that are available.

Inlays and onlays are versatile solutions for several common dental issues.

Inlays and onlays differ from traditional fillings because they can strengthen a tooth and allow it to sustain greater chewing forces. Sometimes referred to as an indirect filling, an inlay or onlay is custom made in a lab using an impression of the patient’s teeth. These options can be used to restore the chewing surface of a tooth that suffers from a chip, crack, or cavity. When the damage to a tooth falls within the tooth’s cusp tips, an inlay can be used to treat the problem. For more extensive damage, an onlay can be applied.