Natural Looking Inlays, Onlays & Crowns

If you have a broken tooth, fractured filling or highly decayed tooth, a crown offers many benefits in appearance and durability. Crowns cover the entire tooth and restore it to its normal function, shape and size. They are generally used when a tooth is too damaged to be treated with a filling. Tailor made to your natural tooth, crowns can also prevent other teeth from shifting. And since they have a smooth surface, they have a long life span. Finally, when the crowns are made of porcelain, they actually strengthen the tooth structure while potentially matching the natural color of your teeth. Consequently, they have become a key element of many smile makeovers that address crooked, worn or misshapen teeth.

The fitting and placement of a crown normally takes two to three appointments for teeth preparation and the fabrication of impressions. Upon preparing the damaged tooth and awaiting the permanent crown, a temporary crown will be placed over the tooth in order to permit normal chewing and maintain your smile. Once a model from the impressions is returned from the lab, Dr. Sajoo will then build a crown that fits into the contour of the remaining teeth. This crown is then cemented to your tooth and hardened with a high intensity light. If properly maintained through regular brushing and flossing, crowns can last many years.

For problems involving the back teeth and less structural damage, you may opt for porcelain inlays or onlays. These restorations fall between a composite filling and a crown. i.e., Sections are bonded to the damaged area of the tooth only. An inlay, which is similar to a filling, is used inside the cusp tips of the tooth. Onlays extend over one or more of the cusps of the tooth. Like crowns, inlays and onlays dramatically improve the strength of the tooth in comparison to composite fillings.

Inlay and onlay procedures normally require two visits. The first appointment will be used to remove tooth decay, develop impressions and fit a temporary restoration. The second visit will include a fitting for comfortable bite followed by cementing of the inlay or onlay.