Understanding Dental Inlays
Posted on: 2 December 2016
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Dental inlays are one of the most versatile and effective restorative techniques employed by dentists today. Yet many patients fail to capitalize on the advantages offered by inlays, often because they simply don't have the right understanding. If you would like to boost your knowledge of cosmetic dentistry techniques, read on. This article will discuss three useful pieces of information regarding dental inlays.
Inlays are used to restore a natural smile.
Decay is a pernicious and widespread problem where teeth are concerned. Even those who brush and floss on a daily basis will sooner or later find themselves having to deal with some form of decay. Dental inlays are one of the best ways of restoring decay-compromised teeth to their former glory. Compared to other restorative techniques such as crowns and fillings, they are especially good at their job. That's because, in addition to dealing with damaged portions of the tooth, they are also able to compensate for any pre-existing problems or flaws.
Inlays are created through an indirect fabrication process.
Even if you aren't sure what indirect fabrication refers to, there's a decent chance that you have dealt with it before. This categorization simply refers to dental restorations that are completed by making a mold of one or more damaged teeth. Soft dental putty is pressed around the teeth in question, allowed to partially harden, then removed and used as the mold for the dental inlay. The inlay itself is made out of either dental resin or porcelain, and tinted to fit in with the adjacent teeth.
Dental inlays accomplish more than fillings.
Most people are familiar with dental fillings, thanks to the fact that they are one of the most common ways of repairing cavities and other minor instances of decay. Yet fillings are not able to improve such teeth cosmetically. Nor are they able to treat teeth whose contours have been damaged by decay. Dental inlays, on the other hand, can be used to successfully treat all of the above types of damage.
Not only that, but inlays represent a much more durable method of repairing damaged teeth--especially when they are created out of porcelain. That's because the resin that fillings are made of has a distinct tendency to shrink in size during the curing process. Even a miniscule amount of such shrinkage is enough to impede the overall bond strength, thus boosting the chances that the filling will pop loose later on down the line.
Contact a clinic like Crest Hill Family Dental to learn more.