Natural-Colored Fillings (Inlays and Onlays)
As a mercury-free practice, Twin Cities Dental Center offers aesthetically and structurally superior solutions for patients who still have silver/mercury fillings from years past. While older silver/mercury fillings lack eye appeal and inherently result in a weaker tooth structure in the long run, the composite resins we offer both beautify and strengthen weakened teeth. These natural-colored fillings are made possible by the latest bonding technologies and may be your best option for restoring a damaged tooth or replacing a less than satisfactory silver/mercury filling.
Often, porcelain inlays or onlays will be the best choice, offering many advantages over other filling materials. A porcelain inlay is small and covers the grooves of the teeth. An onlay is larger and covers one or more cusps or corners of a tooth.
For many people, porcelain inlays or onlays can be an excellent solution when a large, defective filling needs to be replaced. They will add strength to the tooth that the silver/mecury filling cannot, and they also are harder and more durable than traditional white composite fillings. The inlay or onlay will be bonded to your tooth, which creates a resilient, watertight seal.
A porcelain onlay is also the more conservative choice than a full crown, because it preserves more of the natural tooth structure.
For many patients, however, the best part of all is that these restorations can be custom colored to match your own teeth.
The process itself is a precise one that requires two separate appointments to ensure an exact fit for your permanently bonded porcelain inlay/onlay.
At the first visit, the tooth is shaped to allow room for the thickness of the inlay/onlay, and a mold is made. Also at this appointment, a temporary inlay/onlay will be made to cover and protect your tooth while the new permanent one is being made.
At the second and final appointment, the porcelain inlay/onlay that has been custom-made by lab technicians on accordance with the dentist’s specifications and instructions, onlay is permanently bonded to your tooth using an intense blue light that cures and hardens the bonding agent.
Porcelain inlays and onlays are a great way to restore strength to weak teeth. Excellent cosmetics, combined with conservation of tooth structure, make them the treatment of choice for many patients.
