Dental Inlays and Onlays Payson UT

When a tooth becomes damaged, restoring it quickly is essential to preventing further problems. If a tooth has sustained a significant amount of damage to the biting surface, we may suggest inlays or onlays. Also commonly referred to as partial crowns, these restorations are custom-fabricated to match the natural tooth structure while also restoring functionality and strengthening the tooth. If you live in the Payson, UT area, the team at Gunnerson Dental has experience placing beautiful, natural-looking inlays and onlays.

What are inlays and onlays

You may be familiar with traditional dental fillings, which are used to restore teeth that have small areas of damage or decay. These restorations are extremely effective; however, they do slightly weaken the tooth structure. When the damage covers a significant portion of the tooth, inlays or onlays can be used to strengthen the tooth structure. We typically recommend inlays and onlays for damage that is too large for a traditional filling but not quite extensive enough for a full dental crown.

There is one main difference between inlays and onlays. Inlays are used to repair damage in the middle of the cusps, while onlays are used when the damage extends over one or more cusps of the tooth.

The inlays and onlays process

Inlays and onlays can be made from a variety of dental materials. At Gunnerson Dental, we primarily use ceramic inlays and onlays because they are strong, long-lasting, and natural-looking. The process for receiving either restoration requires two dental visits.

During the first visit, Dr. Gunnerson begins by addressing the decay or damage to the tooth and then preparing it for placement of the restoration. Impressions are taken for custom fabrication of the inlay or onlay using the Cerec machine in our in-house lab. A temporary sealant will be placed on the tooth to protect it while you wait to return for your second appointment. When the inlay or onlay is ready, you will return for your final visit. Dr. Gunnerson will remove the sealant and check the restoration for proper fit before bonding it permanently into place. The final step is to smooth and polish the restoration out so that it feels comfortable and looks like a natural tooth.  All crowns, inlays and onlays are custom fabricated in our practice.  We are able to do upto 3 unit bridges in our in-house lab, and anything  more is then sent to a dental lab for fabrication.

Dr Gunnerson has extensive experience in performing restorative procedures. He uses the innovative CEREC 3D scanning technology to fabricate beautiful, customized crowns  for both functional and aesthetic reasons. All our restorations are composed of high quality materials and fabricated in our in-house lab.

To begin the process, the team first captures a digital impression of the problem tooth and using the CEREC technology, Dr Gunnerson will create the crown and carefully customize it to fit perfectly on the patient’s tooth.  The new crown is then polished and Dr Gunnerson will check the restoration to ensure proper fit before bonding it permanently into place. This whole process can be completed in the practice in one appointment in less than 2 hours, thereby making this same day crowns very convenient and easy for our patients.

Learn more today

At Gunnerson Dental, we are always happy to answer questions that you may have about our services. To book an appointment, please give us a call today at (801) 658-0175.