Important Information About Dental Onlay Restorations
Also labeled as a partial crown, Onlay restorations are fillings that is custom made and permanently cemented by a professional dentist onto the tooth. Made from composite material such as gold, or tooth colored porcelain, many people find Onlay restorations a great option for repairing defective fillings, or teeth damaged by decay or trauma.
One advantage that Onlays provide compared with crowns or caps is the ability to have a dentist remove less of the structure of the tooth during the preparation of the Onlays. The biggest advantage of this option for tooth care is in the high durability of the material which often lasts for years leaving people with long lasting beautiful smile.
Here are just a few of the reasons why Onlay restorations might be used:
- Teeth that are broken or fractured
- For cosmetic enhancement and improved appearance of teeth
- For teeth that have decayed or are decaying.
- For replacement of large fillings
During your appointment, your tooth will be numbed before starting. Once your tooth is sufficiently numb, we will then remove the structure of your tooth that has been affected and prepare it to receive the Onlay restoration. In some cases, like in the case of a gold Onlay, we will place a temporary Onlay restoration and send information about your tooth to a dental lab so they can fabricate a new restoration.
When doing a porcelain Onlay, we have a milling unit in our office that allows us to design your porcelain Onlay and mill it in our office. We can do this process in the same appointment for porcelain Onlays, but gold Onlays will be placed on the second appointment after the lab delivers the final restoration; which generally takes one to two weeks.
Onlays are similar to Inlays; however, an Onlay is necessary when, at least, one of the chewing cusps are also in need of repair.
Feel free to contact us with any questions at 281-492-6064.
