Crowns, Inlays & Onlays
Everyone wants a healthy and attractive smile, but we all know that accidents happen. Luckily, restorative dentistry can help keep your teeth looking their best.
About Crowns, Inlay & Onlays
Dental crowns cover the entire visible part of the tooth, providing protection and structural support for damaged and weakened teeth. They are ideal for teeth with heavy decay or breaks, and they’re also placed after a root canal to seal and protect the treated area.
Restore Your Smile
There are more tools than crowns to help restore your smile and its functionality. Dental inlays and onlays are used for localized tooth damage. Inlays are placed inside the tooth’s surface, within the cusps. They are ideal for damage within the cusps that is too large for a filling but not extensive enough to warrant a crown. Onlays are similar but cover more of the tooth, including one or several cusps for bigger restorations.
Long-Lasting
Crowns, inlays, and onlays can last 5–10 years or longer if properly cared for. They can also be made of a variety of materials, such as gold and porcelain, depending on the use. Your dentist will determine whether your teeth could benefit from a dental crown, inlay, or onlay to bring back the smile you know and love.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does getting a dental crown hurt?
It is natural to worry that a dental crown procedure will be painful. The good news is that you shouldn’t feel much more than some slight discomfort. The dentist will use a numbing agent to reduce sensation in your mouth before placing the dental crown.
After the procedure, your mouth may feel a little tender, and you may experience some gum inflammation. This should disappear relatively quickly, but your dentist will discuss your options for dealing with any post-procedure discomfort.
How long does a dental crown last?
Dental crowns make a damaged tooth look and function like normal, so you want them to last as long as possible. Crowns, onlays, and inlays can last up to 15 years with proper care, but what does that mean?
To maximize the life of a new crown, avoid grinding your teeth and biting or chewing objects or fingernails. Always wear protection during activities where objects could hit your teeth, like sports.
A crown replacement may be necessary if you can see the crown shifting, if the tooth looks misshapen, or if you experience any pain in the treated tooth.
When does a tooth need a crown instead of a filling?
Plaque on your teeth can lead to cavities that can be treated with a filling if they’re small. Fillings are used for patients with minor tooth decay to prevent it from getting worse.
Dental crowns, on the other hand, are placed when a tooth shows extensive decay or has been severely damaged. Dental crowns help restore the shape of the tooth and its functionality, as well as cover the tooth to help protect it.
A patient may need a crown due to a broken or fractured tooth or a pair of crowns to support a dental bridge. In some cases, a patient may get a crown to prevent a weakened tooth from breaking.
What’s the difference between a crown, an inlay, and an onlay?
Crowns, inlays, and onlays are all used to treat and restore damaged teeth. However, they each have unique attributes.
Dental crowns cover an entire visible tooth, so they’re ideal for teeth that are very weak and require structural support and protection. They are also placed after a root canal or when a tooth has extensive decay or cracking.
Dental inlays fit inside the tooth’s surface, much like a filling. If a patient has damage to the tooth’s cusp that is too large for a filling, they may be a good candidate for an inlay.
Onlays cover more of the tooth than an inlay and are ideal for teeth that have damage to one of the cusps but do not require a full restoration.
