Inlays and Onlays in Nicosia
Strong, Long-Lasting Dental Restoration
At Symeou Dental Center, dental innovation meets precision with our transformative inlays and onlays services.
We introduce you to a harmonious blend of aesthetics and functional restoration to elevate your dental experience beyond traditional procedures. Imagine a solution that bridges the gap between dental fillings and crowns, meticulously crafted to increase your teeth’s vitality.
Our experienced dentists craft dental prosthetics to seamlessly fit your dental anatomy. Inlays and onlays are made of high-quality materials, like porcelain, to restore damaged areas and enhance your smile’s beauty.
Explore a dental experience that goes beyond the ordinary, preserving your dental health, transforming your smile, and elevating your confidence!
What are Inlays and Onlays?
Inlays and onlays are dental restorations used to repair and restore damaged or decayed teeth.
Like dental fillings, they treat cavities and tooth decay. However, dentists use inlays and onlays to cover, restore, and reshape a much larger portion of a patient’s tooth. Compared to traditional fillings, inlays and onlays provide better strength and durability due to their precise fit and strong materials, such as porcelain, resin-composite, or even gold.
Inlays and onlays are also known as indirect filling because they’re custom-made in a dental laboratory or using CAD/CAM technology. Our dentists at Symeou Dental Center will recommend onlays and inlays when the damage, the cavity, or the tooth decay is too serious for a simple dental filling or a dental crown.
Inlays Vs. Onlays
Inlays
• A dental inlay fits within a tooth’s cusps (the raised points).
• Used when the decay or damage is within the indented top surfaces of a tooth.
• They’re custom-made in a dental laboratory, and then bonded to the tooth during a second dental visit.
Onlays
- An onlay is a more extensive reconstruction covering one or more tooth cusps.
- Used when the damage extends beyond the cusps, but the tooth still has a healthy structure that doesn’t necessitate a crown.
- Onlays, like inlays, are fabricated in a dental lab and later bonded to the tooth.
Both inlays and onlays preserve as much part of the healthy tooth as possible and can be alternatives to crowns when treating tooth decay or other structural damage. They offer a well-fitting, long-lasting, and aesthetically pleasing solution to tooth decay or similar damage.
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Dental Materials
Crafted from strong materials, inlays and onlays offer exceptional results:
Prized for their natural appearance and durability, porcelain inlays and onlays seamlessly integrate with your existing teeth, delivering both aesthetics and enduring restoration.
Composite resin inlays and onlays are known for their ability to mimic your natural teeth’s shade. Directly bonded to the tooth, they combine strength with visual appeal.
Particularly suitable for back teeth, these restorations resist heavy chewing forces, promising long-lasting endurance.
Utilizing advanced dental ceramics, ceramic inlays and onlays replicate natural enamel, offering exceptional strength and aesthetics for restoring damaged or decayed teeth.
The Dental Procedure For Inlays & Onlays
Each step of the inlay or onlay application aims to deliver a restoration that will enhance your dental health.
To begin, our skilled dentist removes decayed or damaged tooth structure and sculpts the tooth to accommodate the inlay or onlay.
A precise impression of the prepared tooth is captured, serving as a detailed blueprint for crafting your personalized restoration.
While your permanent restoration takes shape at a dental laboratory, a temporary restoration is placed. This ensures protection for your tooth and maintains proper function during the interim period.
Once your custom-made inlay or onlay, it is expertly bonded to your tooth.
Other Dental Restorations
Besides inlays and onlays, our comprehensive dental restoration options include dental fillings, crowns, and bridges. These treatments are pivotal in restoring dental health, functionality, and aesthetics.
Dental Fillings
Address minor tooth decay or damage. By skillfully replacing damaged areas with materials like composite resin or amalgam, fillings restore integrity and prevent further deterioration.
Dental Crowns
For extensive dental concerns, dental crowns offer ultimate restoration. These tooth-shaped caps comprehensively cover teeth marred by decay, fractures, or after root canal treatment. Crowns restore strength, functionality, and natural aesthetics.
Dental Bridges
Comprising artificial teeth supported by adjacent natural teeth crowned for stability, they facilitate proper chewing, speech, and facial contours.
Understanding Your Dental Anatomy
Understanding dental anatomy is essential for creating and placing inlays and onlays accurately. Key components of dental anatomy include:
The tooth’s sturdy outer layer, enamel, safeguards the underlying structures from external factors, ensuring longevity and resilience.
Situated beneath the enamel, dentin forms the foundational bulk of the tooth structure. It plays a crucial role in transmitting sensations and supporting the enamel.
Central to the tooth, the pulp houses nerves, blood vessels, and connective tissue. It’s responsible for sensing temperature changes, pressure, and pain.
Covering the tooth’s root surface, cementum aids in anchoring the tooth to the surrounding bone through the periodontal ligament.
Connective fibers securing the tooth to the adjacent bone, ensuring stability and facilitating slight movement.
The jawbone serves as the anchor, providing the foundation for the teeth and supporting their structure.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the risks of having inlays/onlays?
- Tooth sensitivity – Some patients may be sensitive to cold or hot temperatures after the procedure. This sensitivity usually subsides within a few days to a week.
- Allergic reactions – In rare cases, patients may be allergic to the materials used in the procedure, such as dental ceramics or metals. You must inform your dentist about any known allergies before the procedure.
- Dislodgement – If an inlay or onlay is not properly bonded or if excessive force is applied to the restoration, it may become dislodged or come off. It is important to visit your dentist immediately.
- Secondary Tooth Decay – If the patient does not take care of his/her teeth (e.g., brushing, flossing, and visiting the dentist regularly), plaque and bacteria will appear at the margins of the restoration.
What are the advantages of inlays and onlays?
- Conservative Approach: Inlays and onlays are a type of restoration that can be used to repair damaged or decayed teeth with minimal removal of healthy tooth structure. This conservative approach helps preserve more of the natural tooth.
- Durability: Inlays and onlays are typically made from stronger materials like porcelain, composite resin, or even gold. This makes them highly durable and resistant.
- Aesthetics: Inlays and overlays are custom-made to match the color and shape of your natural teeth, making them a great option for restoring the appearance of your smile.
- Conservative Alternative to Crowns: In cases where a tooth might need a crown but still has enough healthy structure, an inlay or an onlay is a more conservative solution.
What are the disadvantages of inlays and onlays?
One con of inlays and onlays for some patients might be the cost. Inlays and onlays, especially those made from high-quality materials, can be more expensive than other restorations.
How long after an inlay can I eat?
After placing an onlay or inlay on tooth, it is better to wait until the local anaesthesia has completely worn off before eating. This typically takes a few hours. It is also important to avoid eating or drinking anything too hot or too cold during the first 24 hours to allow the restoration to fully set and bond to the tooth.
Why does my dental onlay keep coming off?
If your dental inlay/onlay keeps coming off, it may be due to the following reasons:
- Poor bonding: The inlay/onlay may not have been properly bonded to the tooth surface, leading to inadequate adhesion. Your dentist can assess the situation and if necessary, they will re-bond the inlay/onlay.
- Excessive force: Avoid habits that apply excessive force to the restoration, such as clenching or grinding your teeth. These habits cause dislodgement. Your dentist may recommend wearing a nightguard to protect the restoration.
- Tooth decay: The restoration will come off if there is another tooth decay under the inlay/onlay. In such cases, the decayed area must be treated and inlay/onlay will be replaced.
How long does an onlay take to settle?
An onlay may take a few days to settle. Patients may experience some mild discomfort or sensitivity to hot or cold temperatures after the placement of an inlay/onlay. The pain or discomfort subsides in a few days. However, if the discomfort persists or worsens, contact your dentist for further evaluation.
Can I brush my teeth after inlay/onlay?
Yes, you can brush your teeth after getting an inlay/onlay. However, it is better to wait until the local anesthesia has worn off completely to ensure proper control and sensation while brushing. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush and gentle brushing motions to avoid putting excessive pressure on the restoration.
How do you take care of an inlay/onlay?
To take care of an onlay, it is essential to maintain good oral hygiene practices, including:
- Brushing: Brush your teeth at least twice a day using a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste.
- Flossing: Floss daily to clean the spaces between your teeth and along the gumline.
- Regular dental check-ups: Visit your dentist regularly for professional cleanings and examinations. Your dentist can monitor the condition of the inlay/onlay and address any concerns or issues.
- Avoid excessive force: Avoid habits like chewing hard objects, biting your nails, or using your teeth as tools because these habits may cause damage.
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