When dental problems occur, they can do serious damage to your enamel. The frustrating reality is that when this happens, teeth are not able to recover. Even a cavity that is caught and restored early will require permanent support! At our Irving, TX dentist’s office, we take care to provide just the right restorations for our patients. Sometimes, trouble with dental decay or an injury will cause too much damage for a filling, but may not require a full crown. To preserve more of your healthy structure, we can instead use a porcelain inlay or onlay. These “partial crowns” can cover a portion of a molar or premolar while still leaving much of the healthy material intact.

How Inlays And Onlays Restore Vulnerable Teeth

Inlays and onlays cover portions of teeth to address damage from cavities or physical trauma. Unlike a crown, they do not require total coverage above your gum line, but they still cover a greater area than a dental filling. To make sure the restoration we provide for you fits properly, we will take care to measure the tooth and determine what area needs to be protected. This care helps us preserve more of your healthy enamel while also ensuring your treatment gives you a secure restoration.

Porcelain Restorations Provide Protection Without Changing The Way You Look

Porcelain can effectively mimic the appearance of enamel so that your restorative dental work will not impact the way you look. Of course, preserving your appearance is just one task that is asked of a restoration. You should also feel confident that you can bite and chew without hurting the inlay or onlay, and certainly without hurting your tooth! You can feel relieved to know that in addition to preserving your smile, dental porcelain is strong enough to withstand pressure from biting and chewing.

When You Need A Full Dental Crown To Protect Your Tooth

If you need a full crown to take care of your tooth after an injury or severe cavity, we can help. In fact, we can actually help you receive the protection that you need in less time than you expect. We rely on CEREC technology to make restorations in just one appointment. Technology makes it possible for us to digitally create a restoration that we will then produce with an in-office milling machine. When it is ready, the custom crown can be placed over your tooth.

Talk To Your Irving, TX Dentist About Receiving An Inlay Or Onlay

At our practice, we are ready to work with patients who have oral health concerns but hope to preserve their smile. Our different treatment options include inlays and onlays, partial restorations that can keep a tooth safe without fully covering it. If you would like to find out more, please call Defining Smiles in Irving, TX today at 972-717-0860.