At SA Smile Clinic, our bespoke dental overlays, inlays and onlays are a solution to mild and severe tooth damage and decay.
Made using biomimetic materials that emulate real tooth components, you can expect your onlays/inlays/overlays to provide long-term protection, function and aesthetic.
Introducing… Onlay/Inlays/Overlays
- Treatment: restorative treatment for worn, decayed and cracked teeth.
- Treatment time: 2 appointments.
- Duration of results: 10 years +
- Benefits: our onlays, inlays and overlays mimic the behaviour and appearance of real teeth.
What Are Onlays/Inlays/Overlays?
Dental onlays/overlays/inlays are dental restorations created to treat and reinforce a tooth compromised by decay, cracks and damage.
We use the best prosthodontic practices to make sure your restoration can withstand the forces exerted in your mouth each day.
The materials we use mimic real components of your tooth, such as dentine and enamel. So, you can be confident that your tooth has been reinforced in the most authentic way possible and will have the maximum protection from dental erosion/attrition/abrasion and wear.
The Dental Onlay/Inlay/Overlay Process
- Examination and Diagnosis
Your dentist will thoroughly examine the decayed/fractured tooth. Clinical photos and X-rays will be taken to obtain a full clinical picture of the underlying structures beneath the decayed/fractured tooth. Once we have made a detailed analysis of your tooth’s condition, we can begin restoring your tooth, led by biomimetic principles. This simply means making sure your restored tooth is as tooth-like as can be.
- Creating your Onlay/Inlay/Overlay
Our dental technician team create inlays/onlays/ overlays with skill and a keen eye for detail. The restoration will match your exact tooth shade, fitting in effortlessly with neighbouring teeth. The biomimetic materials used mimic the functions and aesthetics of real teeth whilst reinforcing the tooth in the most natural way possible.
- Fitting your Onlay/Inlay/Overlay
Your onlay/inlay/overlay is fitted under local anaesthetic. If you are feeling anxious about your fitting appointment, we can help. At SA Smile Clinic we have a purpose-built relaxation lounge, and you will find the practice to be a calming environment with relaxing music and comfortable seating incorporating neck pillows for patients who need an extra helping hand to relax.
Why Choose SA Smile Clinic For Smile Restoration?
At SA Smile Clinic, we will always be looking for solutions that protect your smile in the most natural way possible. This involves using biocompatible and tooth-mimicking adhering methods and materials
Our state-of-the-art practice is clinically sophisticated and beautifully decorated, ensuring your comfort whenever you visit.
We are fully invested in every step of your journey, and we adopt a patient-centric mindset during the consultation process, and beyond.
We will discuss the options that make clinical sense for your mouth, and we place a great deal of emphasis on your health and well-being as a whole. This holistic approach is our starting point for all treatments we offer our valued patients.
FAQs
What is a dental onlay?
Dental onlays cover the top of a tooth, restoring the biting surface and one or more of the cusps.
What is a dental overlay?
A dental overlay is sometimes called a partial crown, rebuilding the chewing surface, cusps and lateral surfaces of a damaged or decayed tooth. By contrast, crowns cover a tooth’s surface all the way down to the gum line.
What is a dental inlay?
A dental inlay fits into the grooves of the tooth. It is centred in your tooth instead of along the outer edges or ’cusps’. These are smaller restorations that do not involve as much tooth structure to protect.
How do onlays, overlays,inlays and fillings compare?
Unlike fillings, onlays/inlays/overlays are not adhered directly to your tooth. They are made in a dental laboratory by our dental technician. Fillings are generally used when a tooth is a maximum of 40% damaged.
At SA Smile Clinic, our dentists are preservation-minded. We will always seek to use the least invasive and destructive methods possible to salvage a tooth. Your dentist may suggest a crown if onlays, inlays and overlays are not clinically compatible with the affected tooth.
Is biomimetic dentistry really beneficial to patients?
100%. Biomimetic dentistry is and should be the future of dentistry. We’re proud to be one of the only practices in our area employing forward-thinking dental techniques that bring about natural-functioning and looking smiles for our patients.
Biomimetic techniques are advantageous to our patients for the following reasons:
- The tooth receives the maximum protection.
- Tooth-mimicking materials such as ceramic and porcelain are used.
- Your tooth will feel as natural as can be when you bite down.
- Biomimetic overlays, inlays and onlays help to protect the nerve inside a tooth (even if the decay is deep-set) preventing further more invasive treatment.
