Preserving Your Teeth
Onlays/inlays only require minimal removal of healthy tooth structure, and your dentist can preserve most of your natural tooth.
Dental Inlays And Onlays
Inlays and Onlays are the future of restorative dentistry, superseding crowns as the best way to restore more extensively damaged back teeth.
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Dr. Mark Flynn Explains How Inlays & Onlays Can Help Transform Your Smile
What Are Inlays And Onlays?
Inlays and Onlays are dental restorations that have replaced crowns as the ideal way to restore damaged teeth where a filling won't work because of extensive damage.
Their most significant advantages are that they don't cause damage to the healthy tooth structure, unlike crowns, and they replicate your natural teeth.
Also, fillings won't last long when most of a tooth is lost due to larger cavities, tooth wear, or a fracture.
The material in a filling lacks the strength of natural tooth structure, and chewing forces often wear them out in a few years.
The traditional answer to this problem was crowns, but they have some serious drawbacks.
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The Problem With Crowns
Crowns cut the tooth to a stump and cover it with a ceramic or metal shell.
The problem with this is that these teeth have often experienced hollowing out due to extensive decay and damage, so little more than a shell of enamel is left.
When dentists prep the tooth for a crown, they essentially destroy what remains of this shell, significantly compromising any remaining tooth structure.
While dental crowns were once an innovative solution, advances in dental technology mean that dentists can now preserve healthy tooth structure and enhance your smile by using dental inlays and onlays.
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What Makes Inlays and Onlays Different?
Inlays and onlays have very little in common with crowns, except that they're made in a laboratory.
They're essentially large fillings made from a much stronger material than direct white fillings.
The tooth is prepared almost exactly the same way as for a filling: the dentist will only remove damaged or unrestorable tooth structure and preserve healthy structure.
Instead of using a standard filling material to replace the missing part, a 3D scan or digital impression is taken and sent to a lab.
Then, a custom onlay or inlay is created from a robust material - such as porcelain or ceramic composite - and securely bonded to the tooth.
These restorations are highly effective ways to enhance the appearance of your teeth and restore them to their original strength.
Terms like inlays, onlays, overlays, and veneerlays refer to how much of the tooth is being restored.
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Dr Mark Flynn explains - Why Don't All Dentists Do Inlays And Onlays Instead Of Crowns?
Why Don't All Dentists Do Inlays And Onlays Instead Of Crowns?
Crowns are easier to apply than inlays and onlays, which are more technique-sensitive.
Applying them requires more skill, and there's a risk that the restorations will fall out if the dentist doesn't adequately perform all the steps in the bonding procedure.
Poor-quality crowns usually last longer than poor-quality inlays and are easier and faster to perform.
However, they can be more expensive than inlays and will impact healthy tooth structure.
When crowns fail, they often leave a completely unrestorable tooth behind, necessitating an extraction and implant.
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What Is The Cost Of Inlays And Onlays?
The cost of inlays and onlays at The Modern Dentist ranges from £750 to £1050.
The price depends on the amount of tooth structure we're replacing and the time required for the prep and the fit appointments.
Benefits Of Dental Inlays And Onlays
Aesthetic Appeal
A dental laboratory will create your inlays or onlays, customising them to your natural teeth.
Nobody will be able to tell the difference between them.
Durability
Unlike fillings, dental inlays use highly durable materials, including ceramic and hybrids of composite resin and porcelain, which means they can withstand strong chewing forces and last over 15 years with proper care.
Reduced Risks
Your dentist will design inlays and onlays based on your digital impressions and scans, which means they fit the tooth accurately, reducing any risk of discomfort and future tooth decay.
Inlays/Onlays vs Crowns
Crowns | Inlays/Onlays | |
|---|---|---|
Procedure | Destructive of natural tooth structure. | Minimally invasive. All healthy tooth structure is preserved. |
Discomfort | Can cause sensitivity or even nerve death in a previously healthy tooth. | Usually no reaction from the nerve if it's healthy before treatment. |
Results | Any gum recession over time leads to ugly, visible margins. | Margins blend beautifully with the surrounding tooth structure so the restoration remains close to invisible. |
Potential Complications | Failure is often catastrophic, leading to extraction and implants. | If the procedure is carried out correctly, failure is rare. However, even if it does happen, the inlay/only usually just falls out and doesn't damage the tooth structure. |
Monitoring | Crowns block out x-rays, which means it's impossible for the dentist to know what's happening underneath the crown. By the time decay under a crown spreads to the margins where it's visible, it's often too late to save the tooth. | Inlays and onlays can be visually and radiographically monitored. Any decay is easily detected and dealt with. |
What Are Inlays And Onlays Made From?
Depending on the type and location of the restoration, inlays and onlays are usually made from either porcelain or a hybrid of composite resin and ceramic.
Gold and other metals are also options but are rare materials today.
What's The Process For Inlays And Onlays?
The process for inlays and onlays requires two appointments, but we aim to give you a convenient experience. Here's how your treatment with The Modern Dentist will work.
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At your examination appointment we'll thoroughly assess any potential candidates for inlays or onlays, including testing the nerves and taking x-rays, photos and any other indicated imaging.
We'll discuss your needs and explore whether inlays or onlays are right for your dental goals.
If you decide to proceed, we'll book your first appointment.
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Inlays And Onlays Aftercare Advice
Inlays and onlays are extremely easy to care for and should be treated like regular teeth.
This means you'll need to follow oral health best practices, including regular brushing and flossing.
We also recommend reducing sugars and acidic foods to preserve the natural tooth structure.
Most importantly, you'll need to book regular dental appointments and see a hygienist regularly.
Your Dentist In Shoreditch, London
Located at the City end of Shoreditch, we are very accessible by tube:
Two minute walk from Old Street Tube Station (Northern Line)
Ten minute walk from Moorgate/Liverpool St Tube and rail stations (National Rail, Elizabeth Line, Central, Circle, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan Lines, and London Overground).
We are on many bus routes, including the 43, 55, 135, 205, 214, and 243.
There is some limited Pay & Display street parking across the road from the practice and a nearby car park on Clere Street.
We have good disabled access for all our treatments and services, including our OPG and CBCT scanner and our well-proportioned bathroom.
We look forward to welcoming you in person very soon!
FAQs
Inlays and onlays are very safe, as they use biocompatible materials.
Allergies are incredibly rare, so you can have peace of mind that your treatment is unlikely to cause any complications.
Book Your Assessment Now!
If you'd like to explore inlays and onlays, please contact us today. Your dentist will assess your needs and determine which treatment is best. Please don't hesitate to ask about our flexible payment plans.
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