Inlay or cast filling (inlay, onlay, overlay)
A solution for decades.
Haven't you often daydreamed about no longer having issues with your filled teeth? Are you tired of one of your old fillings always breaking, discoloring, or making your tooth sensitive underneath? Do you feel like it's an endless cycle happening in your mouth?
Here is the solution!
The dental inlay is the most perfect and durable solution among fillings! For every cavity, from small to gigantic!
This is a type of filling made by a dental technician and secured with adhesive.
In terms of material, the following options are available:
- Plastic (similar to composite fillings, but much more durable due to the technical work phase)
- Porcelain (ceramic)
- Gold (the most durable and perfect solution, but due to its yellow color, it is primarily used for molars)
- Gold-ceramic (the yellow color of gold is covered by tooth-colored ceramic, but since this is not possible on the entire surface, a thin gold edge remains on the filling)
- Zirconium (metal-free ceramic)
In English literature, it can be found under various names. Let's take a look at the differences!
The difference in names is only due to the size and extent of the inlay. In terms of properties and how they are made, they are the same.
Inlay:
A smaller inlay that does not reach the cusps.
Onlay:
A larger inlay that reaches the cusps.
Overlay:
A larger restoration that extends beyond the cusps.
After a brief introduction, let's see in which cases it is applicable/recommended.
- Instead of composite or amalgam fillings, if you're looking for a more durable and aesthetic solution.
- In cases of large and/or deep cavities, when plastic fillings cannot restore the tooth.
- It can also be suitable for anchoring bridges.
How is it made?
- For larger cavities, it is advisable to request anesthesia. (The prices include the cost of anesthesia. You will hardly feel anything, just that it quickly becomes numb.)
- We remove the old filling and/or decay, and create a special cavity.
- Especially in the case of gold cast fillings, we create a special light-cured "insulating" layer, which has two purposes: firstly, it helps reduce your costs, as the price of the filling largely depends on the amount of gold used; secondly, it eliminates the metal's good heat conductivity, thus preventing your tooth from becoming sensitive to hot or cold after the filling is completed.
- Once the special cavity is prepared, we take a precise impression. (This ensures that the inlay fits perfectly into the created cavity, preventing future decay.)
- In the case of plastic or ceramic inlays, we select the tooth color to ensure that the finished inlays remain completely "incognito."
- Since this type of filling is made by a dental technician, we need to wait a few days (usually 3 working days). Of course, during this time, you won't have to live with "gaping holes," as we will place a temporary filling in your tooth, which will be easily and comfortably removed in one go during your next visit.
- The next time, when the work is complete, after removing the temporary filling, we bond the inlays. If they are made of gold, we polish them onto the tooth, further perfecting the marginal seal.