Preserve Your Enamel and Your Natural Smile With Inlays and Onlays

Looking for biocompatible, non-invasive ways to restore your tooth’s enamel? Learn about the causes and treatment options for enamel wear, tear, and damage.

Can The Hardest Substance In the Human Body Be Damaged?

Did you know that tooth enamel is the hardest part of the human body? Enamel is harder and denser than any of our bones, but still requires care and attention. With the right oral health routine, enamel may last a lifetime. However, when it is not cared for properly, it can become vulnerable, damaged, and worn.

Enamel breakdown can be caused by:

• Dental decay
• Dental trauma
• Dental wear

Dental Decay

Dental enamel is exposed to everything we eat and drink and can be damaged or weakened by sugary and acidic foods, which cause the oral pH of the mouth to decrease. A pH less than 5.5 may cause demineralization (or weakening) of dental enamel and lead to decay.

The good news? Regular visits to your Calgary dentist can help identify and treat this type of damage early.

Dental Trauma

Trauma and injury to the teeth or mouth area can also damage a tooth’s enamel. These types of injuries can range from an infraction ( a small, incomplete crack) to more serious forms of damage that result in loss of enamel or severe damage to the structure of a tooth.

Dental Wear

While wear-and-tear may sound less severe than acid erosion or injuries, the truth is that wear over time can contribute to enamel damage. Tooth grinding (bruxism) can be a common culprit, as can issues such as brushing too hard or using a toothbrush with harder bristles.

What Are Inlays And Onlays? What Are Partial Or ¾ Crowns?

Inlays and onlays are lab-made restorations that are used to replace missing tooth structure. Partial crowns or ¾ crowns are similar but are required when only one wall or the ‘healthy side’ of the tooth remains.

To visualize any of these restorations: Imagine a 3D puzzle piece, typically made of a tooth-colored ceramic dental restoration material that slides into the tooth and is bonded to whatever natural tooth structure remains.

Some of the benefits of porcelain/ceramic onlays, inlays, and partial crowns are that they:

• Are BONDED to the tooth, unlike metal or amalgam fillings, which are just wedged between it
• Are able to repair more extensive damage than a composite filling
• Help to STRENGTHEN the remaining tooth structure
• Do not require healthy enamel to be shaved, in the way that dental crowns do
• Help prevent future cracking or breaking
• Are made of hard, glass-like substances which:
  • Offer greater durability
  • Are more natural-looking, especially compared to a metallic finish
  • Blend seamlessly into your natural smile

For all of these reasons, porcelain or ceramic partial dental crowns, onlays, and inlays are often the IDEAL choice for dental restoration, especially for patients who favour minimally-invasive dentistry.

Minimally Invasive Dentistry

The goal of minimally invasive dentistry is to treat the dental decay and lost enamel, while preserving as much of the natural tooth structure as possible. Many times moderate tooth damage can be repaired with a dental inlay, onlay or partial dental crown.

Calgary dentists at Dr. Korol Dental are well–trained in minimally invasive dentistry and always aim to deliver effective treatment that doesn’t create other types of damage along the way.

Contact Us

If you’ve experienced dental decay, trauma, or wear, but don’t want to opt for outdated fillings or invasive dental crowns, get in touch with our team. Dr. Korol’s dental staff will evaluate the condition of your tooth and decide whether the problem can be solved with an inlay, onlay, or partial dental crown. They will then use bonding techniques to apply your porcelain or ceramic dental restorations without the unnecessary removal of natural tooth structure.

To find out more, call our Calgary clinic today at 403-245-9099 or book an appointment online.