At Teeth and Faces Dental clinic
Tooth colored dental fillings are done to restore teeth that have been damaged by tooth decay or injury. The cleaning and shaping of teeth prior to the filling is done. Different types of tooth filling materials are used at Teeth and Faces dental Clinic for the filling of different types of cavities in various locations of the teeth, viz. Light cure composite resins, Glass ionomer cements, and laboratory fabricated fillings (inlays/onlays) made of either ceramic filling, composite filling or zirconia.
Dental fillings done by us are broadly classified into two types:
Done in the tooth directly.
Direct restorations are usually tooth coloured cavity fillings done in a single appointment for adults as well as children to restore teeth damaged by decay. Light cure composite resins and glass ionomer cement fillings come in this category. We at Teeth And Faces have purposely avoided amalgam restorations to keep our clinic and patients mercury free.
Indirect restorations which are commonly known as Inlays and Onlays are specifically used in cases where the damage of teeth has been extensive, requiring stronger restorative materials compared to the direct restorations.
Inlays and Onlays are laboratory fabricated highly durable restorations that can be made from porcelain, metal, or composite resin. Though, porcelain is now becoming the material of choice because of its strength and potential to match the natural color of your tooth.
An inlay is similar to a dental filling and lies inside the cusp tips of the tooth. They are custom-made to fit the prepared cavity and are then cemented into place.
An Onlay is a more extensive reconstruction that covers one or more cusps of a tooth. Onlays are indicated in situations where a substantial reconstruction is required. However, more of the tooth structure can be conserved compared to the placement of a crown.
Inlays and Onlays are applied in two dental visits. At the first visit, the old filling, or decay, is removed, and the tooth is prepared for the inlay/onlay. We will then make an impression of the tooth, and send this impression to a dental laboratory. This impression will be used by the laboratory to construct a custom-made porcelain, composite or a metallic inlay/onlay. In the second appointment, after checking the fit of the restoration, the inlay/onlay is cemented using a resin cement.