Restoring Small And Large Cavities
With Natural Looking, Strong Porcelain
Dr. Whalen restores cavities with porcelain inlays and onlays. These types of restorations are more conservative to metal fillings or full crowns.
While traditional metal amalgam fillings can reduce tooth strength up to fifty percent, inlays and onlays can actually increase tooth strength by up to seventy five percent, lasting from ten to thirty years. Inlays and onlays also require far less tooth preparation (i.e. drilling!) to be permanently seated or placed.
Inlays
Inlays are used to restore inside the cusps of the tooth. They are made of strong, long-lasting and natural-looking materials, such as porcelain or composite resin, and are invisible in the smile. Inlays are a conservative tooth restoration, meaning that they require far less drilling and preparation of the tooth than a metal filling does. This allows us to save much more of the healthy tooth.
Onlays
Onlays are used when the damage calls for larger restorations. They restore inside the cusp and extend over one or more sides of the tooth. They can also be used as a crown or cap. Because of their size, onlays are made of strong material, usually porcelain. Like inlays, they are conservative tooth restorations that require far less drilling than metal fillings or full crown. An onlay can often be used to repair only the damaged portion of the tooth, leaving much more of the original tooth structure intact.