Crown
What Is It: A cemented or bonded restoration that covers the outer surface of the top portion of the tooth, also known as the clinical crown. Dental crowns are restorations designed to fit over your natural tooth and provide protection.
Procedure Description: On your first visit, Dr. Spear will anesthetize the area, then prepare the tooth. Once done, a final impression can be made and sent to a laboratory to make your final crown. When the crown comes back from the lab, you will have a second appointment to place the crown.
Why You Would Need It: There are multiple reasons you may need a crown. Those reasons are varied and include:
- Cracked or broken teeth
- A tooth with a root canal
- Large cavity
- Cracked tooth syndrome (CTS)
- Crown or filling replacement
- Cosmetic reasons
- Worn teeth that need to be built up
Inlays and onlays are more durable and last much longer than traditional fillings.
Onlay
What Is It: Not as extensive as a full crown, an onlay often spans a large portion of the top of the tooth. Onlays can also be called partial crowns. They can be made of tooth-colored composite resin, porcelain or gold.
Procedure Description: We prepare the tooth by removing decay or damaged tooth structure. This often involves cusps or side of the tooth.
Why You Would Need It: An onlay can be used to protect a weakened tooth because it can cover the top chewing surface and distribute the forces around the tooth like a crown.
Inlay
What Is It: Not as extensive as an onlay, an inlay fits within the anatomical contours of the crown of a natural tooth. Inlays can be made of tooth-colored composite resin, porcelain or gold.
Procedure Description: We prepare the top of the tooth to replace damaged or decayed tooth structure.
Why You Would Need It: If the damaged area of the tooth is detected early, this is a great option to utilize the original tooth.