Inlays and Onlays

Dentist in Hawthorne, NJ

An inlay and onlay is similar to a filling and a crown. In a way, it combines both a crown and filling onto the decayed tooth.  Sometimes a filling may weaken a tooth’s structure, instead an inlay and onlay can strengthen the tooth with the additional custom material. This will help a person’s chewing force and improve it up to 50- 75 percent.

Inlay: A replacement that is within the cusp tips

Onlay: A replacement that is greater than one tooth cusp

Here are some benefits of Inlays an Onlays:

  • Less tooth material removed
  • Strengthening
  • Longevity
  • Custom Made

Initial Consultation

During your first consultation, Dr. Abenaim will examine the cavity to determine the treatment options.  If an inlay or onlay is possible, then Dr. Abenaim can present the material options:

  • Gold: Durability (but less aesthetic)
  • Porcelain: Tooth colored (but less durable than Gold)
  • Composite Resin: Tooth colored (but less durable than Gold)

Procedure

After the consultation, the office will make two appointments to complete the inlay and onlay. Each appointment takes approximately one hour. The first appointment will be to remove the decay and damage. Then Dr. Abenaim will make an impression using the material selected during the consultation. A temporary restoration is placed on the tooth at the end of this appointment. While you wait for the second appointment, your impression is created.  With our CEREC technology, a replacement can be made within the same day.

During the second appointment, we will first remove the temporary restoration and then fit in the new restoration.  We make sure that it does not interfere with your bite.  If the fit is good, then Dr. Abenaim, will use a bonding agent to permanently attach the tooth.  Minor adjustments can be made if necessary.  The final step in the appointment is to polish the bonded element and tooth. Each visit will take approximately one hour, with the first appointment

Post Procedure

After the procedure, most patients will have minimal recovery time.  With proper care, a gold inlay/onlay can last between 10-30 years.  To increase longevity, it is recommended to avoid chewing hard objects (ice, pits, etc).

Other important information:

Note also that two visits to the dentist for an inlay or onlay, now generally necessity, may soon be a thing of the past. A new computer generated system has been developed that takes the impression and makes the inlay or onlay all in one step. This allows the preparation and bonding steps to be performed in one appointment. Our office has had this technology for many years and Dr. Abenaim is an expert at this system. He has trained dentists internationally and nationally on this technology.

Risks and Limitations:

The number of risks for inlays and onlays are very small. Many restoration procedures typically require local anesthesia and some people may have allergic reactions to the medication. Also, a very small number of people are allergic to one or more of the metals used in the inlay or onlay. In most cases, the dentist can use another material.

For more information please click here to contact us or call (973) 423-4460 to setup an appointment.