Category: Blog

What Is Rhinoplasty?

It is a cosmetic nasal surgery that improves the appearance of your nose. The surgery concerns contouring and reshaping the nose to adopt a desirable appearance, usually one that accentuates the rest of your facial features. It means that such a procedure can increase or reduce the size of your nose accordingly, to improve its appearance. However, it does not mean that rhinoplasty focuses solely on the aesthetics of your nose.

Instead, the surgeon should only improve the appearance of your nose relative to its optimal functionality. In that way, even patients who have needs other than aesthetics can benefit from rhinoplasty. For instance, you can base your surgical goals on improving your breathing while elevating your facial appearance.

How Do Surgeons Perform Maxillofacial Surgery?

Maxillofacial surgeons are specialists in handling various injuries and conditions concerning the neck, mouth, jaw, head, and face. It means that they can handle plenty of issues in your facial alignment and overall appearance. Their area of expertise is not only on treating or correcting underlying problems but also on performing cosmetic modifications. Some of the maxillofacial surgeries that surgeons perform are:

1. Implantation surgeries – to install dental implants in the jawbone.
2. Wisdom tooth removal – particularly impacted wisdom teeth that remain stuck underneath the gums.
3. Oral reconstructive surgery – to improve multiple oral features in your smile.
4. Oral cancer – maxillofacial surgeons can treat oral cancers and cancers of the head and neck.
5. Cleft lip and palate surgeries – for both cosmetic and health benefits.
6. Jaw deformities and dysfunctions – including broken jaws, chronic temporomandibular joint pain (TMJ), misaligned jaws, dislocated discs, to mention a few. The surgeons can also shave jaws to create desired aesthetic appeal.

Maxillofacial surgeons can handle many problems regarding your facial framework. The problems can occur due to injuries and traumas or be consequences of developmental deformities.

Can Maxillofacial Surgeons Perform Rhinoplasty?

Yes! As long as they are board-certified and experienced in nose contouring, oral and maxillofacial surgeons in Munster can perform rhinoplasty. During the last two decades of the 21st century, oral and maxillofacial surgeons have incorporated aesthetic nasal surgery into their treatment protocols. It means that other than concerns of your oral cavity, an oral surgeon at Family Dental Care – Munster can perform a rhinoplasty to improve the appearance of your nose.

Rhinoplasty Procedure

The procedure for modifying your nose will follow the treatment plan that your surgeon develops to suit your needs and preferences. The steps of the procedure involve:

1. Sedation and numbing – it will depend on the length of the procedure and the complexity of the problem. Your surgeon will either place you under general anesthesia or administer local anesthesia and a different type of sedation. The goal is to keep you calm and relaxed throughout your treatment.
2. A cosmetic incision – is a small cut at the base of your nose, in between your nostrils. The cut will allow the surgeon to access the bone and cartilage of your nose, adjusting them accordingly. Based on your desired goals, the present cartilage may be enough for your procedure or not. If not, the surgeon will use donor cartilage from a different source. Sometimes implants may be necessary, particularly after accidents that cause significant bone and cartilage damage.
3. Repositioning the skin tissue – after all the necessary modifications, the surgeon completes the procedure by positioning the skin tissue flap back in its place. Stitching is usually necessary to hold the tissue in place.

Recovering After Rhinoplasty

The surgery may take a toll on your physical health if you do not follow the guidelines that your surgeon stipulates for recovery. You will need to keep taking your medication to help manage your pain and swelling during your recovery period. Other tips to speed up and ease your healing are:

1. Keep your head elevated even when sleeping.
2. Change the gauze accordingly to prevent infection on the surgical site.
3. Avoid strenuous facial activity – including blowing your nose with intense facial expressions.
4. Be gentle when brushing your teeth – to avoid upper-lip movement as much as possible.

Use sunscreen – with SPF 30, which will help prevent discoloration on your nose.

A dental biopsy is a procedure that involves removing a small portion of your mouth’s soft tissue for examination. Dental biopsies usually focus only on the soft tissues of your oral cavity. It means that the kind of tissues that your dentist can target are your gums or your tongue. A tongue biopsy involves taking sample tissue from your tongue, while a gum biopsy obtains the tissue from your gums.

Why Would You Need a Dental Biopsy?

The reason our dentists at Family Dental Care – Evergreen Park would recommend a dental biopsy near you is to test for abnormalities in your soft tissues. Ideally, it means that the test will be a biopsy of mouth ulcers, lesions, or other anomalies in your tongue and gums. Some causes for dental biopsy are:

1. A mouth sore or lesion on your gums that lasts for a long time without healing.
2. A red or white patch on your gums or tongue.
3. Swelling, redness, or pain of your mouth’s soft tissues.
4. Having loose teeth is an indicator that the gums are changing or receding.
5. Tongue or gum ulcers.

All the above factors are indicators that may point to oral cancer. However, your dentist cannot come to such a conclusion until after several tests. Other than a biopsy, a dental expert will typically run other tests like MRI or CT scans to determine the progression of cancer, revealing the stage of your existing cancer.

Preparing for a Dental Biopsy

It is best to prepare accordingly before any treatment in dentistry. However, regarding dental biopsies, not much preparation is necessary. You only need to inform your dentist of any medication you use before your biopsy. The reason is that some components in certain medications can influence the test. Besides, if you are taking blood thinners, let your dentist know since the medicine can affect the blood clotting process, which is necessary for healing the soft tissues.

The other consideration to prepare you for your treatment is eating. You cannot eat close to the time of your biopsy. You may need a few more hours between your last meal and your mouth biopsy appointment.

What to Expect During Your Biopsy

The first thing you should know is that the test is commonly performed by either an oral surgeon or a periodontist. However, a dentist too can do a dental biopsy. After sterilizing the target area, your dentist with numb your mouth. Sedation dentistry is often part of mouth biopsies, particularly tongue biopsies.

Before taking out any soft tissue from your mouth, the dentist will consider the state of the operation area. For example, general anesthesia will work better than oral sedation with a hard tumor or lesion on your tongue or gums. It will cast you in a deep sleep during the procedure. The same may apply if the target area is hard to reach and may require much moving around.

Is the Procedure Painful?

During a dental biopsy, you will experience pain because of the surgical measures therein. Depending on the type of biopsy, the dentist may either make a small incision on your soft tissue or insert a fine needle through the lesion repeatedly to obtain the tissues. Either way, the procedure will cause significant discomfort. Besides that, the dentist may stitch the wound to close the open area in your tongue or gums. If not, (s)he will use an electric current or laser to stop the bleeding by sealing the blood vessels.

Thankfully, local anesthesia numbs your mouth so that you will not feel any pain during the procedure. Once your oral surgeon numbs your mouth, all you need is to sit still until the procedure is complete.

Treatment Options Available for Dental Biopsy

Treatment varies widely, depending on the results of the test. The treatment will differ from a bacterial or fungal infection if the tissue is cancerous. The treatment options include:

• Mouth rinses
• Antibiotics
• Lifestyle changes – including quitting habits like smoking or drinking alcohol.
• Tongue scrapers to clean the tongue
• Anti-inflammatory medication
• Pain relievers
• Oral anti-fungal medication
• Warm salt water rinses
• Avoiding spicy and acidic foods

Migraines and headaches are often used interchangeably, even though they do not mean the same thing. Migraines are specific headaches that occur on one side of the head, featuring persistent and throbbing pains.

These headaches can be persistent and often manifest other symptoms like nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and lightheadedness. Understanding the underlying cause of your headache may help your doctor correctly diagnose the type of headache you have.

Typical Causes of Migraines and Headaches

Headaches can occur due to a myriad of reasons, including but not limited to:

1. Dental pain – is nothing new for us at Family Dental Care – Crestwood when many of our patients report having headaches due to oral-related problems. A dysfunctional or problematic jaw, for instance, is enough reason to trigger a migraine. The same applies to toothaches and dental cavities.
2. Drinks – if you always take your coffee in the morning, your body may resist the lack of caffeine. Ideally, missing your cup of coffee can cause a headache. The same applies to other drinks like alcohol and wine if you are a frequent consumer.
3. Sensory stimuli – includes visual or hearing stimuli. For instance, strong and bright light or loud noises may trigger a migraine.
4. Viral infections – for example, if you have a cold or the flu, a headache may be one of the symptoms you experience.
5. Foods – the foods you eat may directly or indirectly affect your health. Eating salty foods or old cheese may trigger headaches. Besides that, skipping meals may also lead to headaches.

Common Reasons for Migraines in Females?

Women have headaches more frequently than not for varying reasons. The common causes of migraines for females are:

1. Hormonal imbalance – during pregnancy, menstrual periods, or menopause, women experience significant hormonal imbalances that may influence their overall general health. Such imbalances feature fluctuations in estrogen, which lead to symptoms like persistent headaches and migraines.
2. Hormonal medication – other than natural factors that cause hormonal changes, medication can alter the hormonal structure in your body. Women that take hormonal contraceptives, whether pills or injections, have a higher likelihood of suffering migraines than not.
3. Stress and anxiety – females under a lot of stress at work or home can also suffer migraine headaches.
4. Poor sleeping patterns – females, especially first-time mothers, hardly get adequate sleep. Poor sleeping patterns significantly affect health and may cause headaches.
5. Physical activity – intense physical movements may trigger headaches. Working too hard or even having intense sexual activity can trigger migraines.

How Family Dental Care Can Help in Migraine Treatment

Although a dentist may not be the first person who comes to mind when treating migraines, you would be shocked at how helpful they are. Dentists can treat the underlying oral-related issues that cause your headaches. Some of those dental problems include:

1. Bruxism – is excessive teeth grinding and clenching that places unnecessary pressure on the facial muscles.
2. Temporomandibular joint disorder – is commonly known as TMD. The disorder features a dysfunctional jaw, and a problematic joint, that connects the jaw to the skull.
3. Dental cavity – having a diseased tooth will cause a severe toothache but also cause a headache.

How to Deal with Migraines Attack?

Migraine treatment in Crestwood takes various forms, depending on the underlying cause. As mentioned above, if your migraine is due to dental-related issues, a dentist would be best placed at treating you. However, other ways for migraine treatment for females include the following:

1. Pain- relieving medications like aspirin or ibuprofen – to manage pain during the migraine attack.
2. Antidepressants – to manage stress and anxiety that may leave you feeling depressed.
3. Combined contraceptives – contain both estrogen and progesterone, creating a balance in your hormonal composition.
4. Estrogen supplementation – are especially useful after ovulation to prevent a significant decline in estrogen levels resulting in migraine attacks.
5. Eat healthily – the foods you eat will impact your health in many ways. Include more vegetables and fruits in your daily meals for the needed balance.
6. Lifestyle changes – habits like smoking or drinking alcohol will tamper with your brain chemistry. Put limits on what you regularly consume to avoid suffering withdrawal symptoms like headaches.

Onlays and inlays are types of indirect dental restorations that help repair damaged teeth. They are manufactured as single solid pieces that fit perfectly into the allocated space on a tooth.

An inlay is quite similar to a dental filling, only that it fills in a tooth as a single solid piece, covering more tooth structure than a dental filling. An inlay typically covers the inside pits and depressions of a tooth but not the cusps thereof.

Conversely, onlays are similar to dental crowns. The only difference is that onlays cover less tooth structure than dental crowns. In this way, onlays are popularly known as partial crowns. Their coverage is only the top parts of a tooth, including the cusps, while a tooth crown encapsulates the entire tooth.

What Is the Procedure for Getting Inlays and Onlays?

The process of getting inlays and onlays is a lot similar to the process of getting dental crowns, particularly because they feature the same materials. The porcelain material needs shaping and molding to create a dental appliance that fits perfectly in your tooth.

The initial step involves preparing your tooth. The dentist will shave off part of your tooth enamel, removing any damaged parts. Afterward, the dentist will take impressions of the tooth and use them to create your onlay or inlay. It may take some time for your piece to be ready, and sometimes your dentist will place a temporary crown over the tooth as you wait.

The installation process is easy and fast because it only requires hardening the dental cement after the onlay or inlay is in place.

The Conditions When You Need Inlay and Onlay Treatments

Inlays and onlays in dentistry are often alternatives to other oral appliances. Ideally, dentists will employ inlays and onlays instead of dental crowns and dental fillings when there is a need.

Inlays are used in place of dental fillings, usually when the filling material needed is too big. It means that the dental filling would require extra reinforcement to hold it in place, so it does not compromise the tooth structure. Instead of all the hassle, the dentist will deliberate using an inlay.

On the other hand, onlays are used instead of dental crowns, usually when the restorative work required is not big enough to necessitate a dental crown. Ideally, it means that you need big tooth restoration, more than a dental filling or inlay can cover, but not large enough to get a dental crown. With that, some of the issues that onlays and inlays can correct include the following:

• Dental caries and tooth decay
• Broken teeth
• Hypersensitive teeth
• Damaged tooth structures

Should You Opt for Inlays and Onlays?

Ultimately, it is the responsibility of our dental team at Family Dental Care – Chicago to inform you whether you need Inlays and onlays procedures. Dentists will run you through the various oral appliances while explaining why you need onlays and inlays. It does not mean that inlays and onlays are superior to dental crowns and dental fillings. Instead, a dentist will use them when (s)he considers them better for restoring your teeth than their counterparts.

Benefits of Onlays and Inlays

Some of the following factors help patients validate the decision of Getting Inlays and onlays:

• Sturdy material – porcelain is a reliable material in dentistry that can restore your teeth without fear of damage.
• Durability – onlays, and inlays can typically last between 10 and 25 Years if you care for them properly.
• Preserving more tooth structure – getting dental crowns dictates removing much of your tooth enamel to make room for the tooth cap. Lesser enamel needs to be removed when installing inlays and onlays.
• Added restoration options to choose from – onlays and inlays are other alternatives for repairing and restoring your teeth. They prove useful for cases where dental fillings and oral crowns do not gratify your desires.
• Relatively affordable – compared to getting a dental crown, you will find that onlays are more affordable because they do not cover an entire tooth.

One of the ways to improve the appearance of your smile is to work on the shapes of teeth. While other factors like discoloration and spacing matter, the shapes of your different teeth affect the overall appearance of your smile. Besides, teeth naturally have different shapes to accomplish various functions, ranging from cutting and biting to tearing and breaking down. Fortunately, dental experts haven’t yet run out of ideas for improving your smile’s aesthetic, even regarding the shapes.

What Are Teeth Reshaping and Contouring?

They are dental procedures for improving the appearance of smiles by adjusting the shapes of teeth. Ideally, every type of tooth in the human mouth has a standard shape so that an incisor does not look the same as a canine tooth.

Due to various factors, you may have oddly shaped teeth, having some too pointy, too rounded off, crooked, or simply chipped and broken. All these issues need correction through teeth contouring and reshaping in Chicago.

When Do You Need Teeth Reshaping?

Anyone can benefit from teeth contouring treatments in dentistry. However, they are considered cosmetic procedures. It means that children will need consent from their parents before undergoing such treatment protocols. Some of the reasons you will need teeth reshaping treatment in dentistry are:

1. Chipped, cracked, or broken teeth – typically following dental trauma and injuries.
2. Crooked teeth – when teeth grow toward the wring direction, which may also cause overlapping.
3. Oddly shaped teeth – can result from either developmental deformities or dental injuries. You can have teeth that are too pointy, rounded or boxed off.
4. Unusually short teeth – may be a developmental problem or due to genetics. However, many patients with unusually short teeth suffer from excessive teeth grinding, also called bruxism, which causes uneven edges, enamel thinning, and erosion.

Understanding The Tooth Contouring And Reshaping Process

The process of changing the shape of your teeth can take many forms. Sometimes, your dentist in Calumet City will send you to an orthodontic dental office to receive braces. Braces are dental aligners that help correct the alignment of teeth, especially regarding crookedness.

The process of shaping teeth using braces takes long, so you may need to wear them for at least six months. The reason is that braces work gradually to shift and rotate teeth. The process relies on the breakdown and disintegration of bone tissue to forfeit the initial location of teeth and adopt a new one. The entire process takes time, with some lasting as long as 24 months before you can realize your desired results. Fortunately, there are different approaches for reshaping and contouring teeth in dentistry.

Is Teeth Shaping Possible Without Braces?

Technically, braces work best for improving teeth alignment by shifting the angles that teeth adopt when in the jawbone. However, teeth reshaping and contouring involve more than that. Dentists have to address the structural issues of your teeth to achieve your desired dental goals. Therefore, teeth contouring is sometimes particular to teeth in your mouth that need reshaping. Many of our patients at Family Dental Care – Calumet City prefer to reshape only the front teeth, which are the most visible when you smile.

Teeth contouring can involve two main processes, i.e., composite bonding and porcelain veneers. Both these materials can improve the shapes of your teeth drastically. Composite bonding involves applying a composite resin to your affected teeth, shaping them accordingly, then hardening them to restore the structure of your teeth.

On the other hand, installing porcelain veneers involves preparing your natural teeth by trimming the tooth enamel. Later, the dentists will prepare a shell-like, tooth-shaped material, then fit it to the front surfaces of your teeth to reshape them accordingly.

Is Teeth Reshaping and Contouring Painful?

Generally, you should not feel any pain during teeth contouring processes. However, you may experience some sensitivity, especially in the case of dental veneers. It is why your dentist will numb your mouth before beginning the enamel preparation process.

After your treatment, you will not be in any pain. You may anticipate a little tooth sensitivity as an effect of the dental works, but it should wear off in just a few days.

Sleep apnea is a disorder that occurs due to complete or partial blockage of the airway as you sleep. During sleep, the soft tissue in the back of the throat relaxes and blocks the airway. Therefore it causes you to snore and gasp for breath. When this happens, the brain wakes you up to restart your breathing.

The disorder prevents you from resting well and affects your health and productivity. Therefore, you should contact a dentist’s office near you if you think you may have sleep apnea. The main treatment for sleep apnea is a device known as Continuous Positive Airway Pressure. This device contains a mask worn over your nose or mouth and pushes air via the nose and mouth.

The Continuous Positive Airway Pressure or CPAP device is quite effective as it keeps the airway from collapsing during sleep. However, many people avoid or discontinue using it since they find it uncomfortable. However, if you are one of them, do not despair. You can still have sleep apnea treatment without CPAP. Continue reading for more information on the treatments.

4 Alternative Sleep Apnea Treatment Options

1. Positional sleep apnea treatment

In some cases, the sleeping position may impact a person’s ability to breathe, leading to sleep apnea. For instance, when you lie on your back or supine position, the tongue, lower jaw, palate, and uvula tissues block your airway. As a result, your breathing and sleep are disrupted.

Treatment begins after a sleep study. First, the specialist will assess your potential risk of having positional sleep apnea during the study. They will then recommend therapies to help you keep off your back when sleeping. Positional therapy involves wearing special devices that force you to sleep on your side instead of your back. They alert you to change position whenever you lie on your back.

2. Undergoing a weight management program

Overweight people are at a high risk of obstructive sleep apnea. This is because the fat around their neck and throat may restrict airflow during sleep leading to sleep apnea. Losing weight can help alleviate sleep apnea symptoms and even cure the condition.

The doctor will help you lose some weight through the right combination of exercise techniques and dietary changes. In addition, the specialist may perform bariatric surgery to aid weight loss in extreme cases.

3. Surgery for sleep apnea

Oral surgery is another sleep apnea treatment without CPAP. It is recommended for people who have trouble breathing when asleep due to extra tissue in their throat or big tonsils. The procedure at a dentist’s office may also involve the tongue, uvula, soft palate, and jaw. Surgery for sleep apnea changes the patient’s anatomy that helps them to breathe well.

4. Consider changing some of your everyday habits.

Changing some lifestyle habits goes a long way in treating sleep apnea. For instance, smokers can quit the habit since it increases airway swelling resulting in OSA. Alcohol relaxes the upper airway muscles making it harder to breathe. Avoiding alcohol before bed will help. Ensure that the nasal passages are not clogged up by taking antihistamines or a nasal decongestant.

How to Make CPAPs More Comfortable

If you prefer the CPAP device over these other treatment methods, there are ways to make it comfortable. They include:

• If your mask is uncomfortable to wear, ask a specialist to help you adjust it so that it fits properly. You can change the mask to a different one that is suitable for you.
• Some people have an allergic reaction to their CPAP masks. You should clean the mask more often and switch it to a latex-free one if you do.
• Others have a dry mouth after wearing the mask. It may be due to sleeping with your mouth open or breathing through the mouth. Adjusting the heated humidifier or getting a chin strap for use at night will help.

How to Get CPAP Alternative

Relief from sleep apnea can come in many ways, not only the CPAP device. If the machine does not work for you, contact us at Family Dental Care for alternative treatment. Our team will work closely with you to help you correct your sleep routine. We will also ensure that you lead a healthy, productive life.

Dental bonding is a cosmetic dentistry treatment for correcting minor flaws in your smile. It hides imperfections from your smile by fixing issues with your teeth. For example, teeth bonding rectify gaps between teeth, cracks, chips, and discoloration. The procedure also repairs teeth that are worn down, broken, or shorter than average.

Despite its effectiveness, the material used in dental bonding is susceptible to staining. You may have noticed that the parts of your teeth with dental bonding have a different color from your natural teeth. This is because the composite resin material stains easily. It stains due to consuming colored foods and beverages, smoking, or poor oral hygiene.

Naturally, you will want to remove the stains and give your teeth an even shade. However, it might not be possible since stained resin material does not respond to teeth whitening treatments. Here are some methods to help you prevent and remove deep stains on bonded teeth.

Tips to Keep Your Bonded Teeth White

1. Use a non-abrasive toothpaste with stain removal properties

Using a whitening toothpaste will help keep your teeth white and keep off stains. However, some types of stain-removing toothpaste damage the tooth enamel since they are too abrasive. So avoid using them to brush your teeth. Instead, ask your dentist to recommend toothpaste that lifts away the stains while preserving the enamel.

2. Maintain proper oral hygiene

Cleaning your teeth properly twice daily and flossing each day will help keep stains from setting on your dental bonding. In addition, routine professional teeth whitening by a dentist will help remove surface stains from the bonded teeth.

3. Avoid foods that stain the teeth

The bonding material stains easily from the foods and drinks that you take. Therefore keep your teeth from staining by avoiding red wine, coffee, colas, tea, curries, and sauces. Use a drinking straw when taking liquids that may stain your teeth. It helps to minimize their contact with teeth. You can also brush your teeth after consuming teeth-staining substances.

4. Avoid smoking or vaping

Smoking or vaping stains your teeth bonding a dull yellow, brown, or grey color. The tar and nicotine cause stains to form on your teeth. If your teeth are stained due to cigarette smoke, seek teeth whitening treatments that are not harsh to your gums and teeth.

5. Visit a dentist regularly for cleaning and check-ups

To keep your teeth whiter, visit the dentist every six months for dental exams and cleanings. The dentist will remove deep stains from your teeth through professional teeth whitening.

However, deep stains on the dental bonding cannot be removed. Therefore, only surface stains are lifted during the whitening procedure. The only option is for the dentist to remove the bonding and replace them with new ones. This straightforward touch-up procedure is offered at Family Dental Care.

Teeth Bonding Replacement Procedure

This procedure is quite similar to the procedure for fixing new dental bonding. The dental expert will first assess your teeth to determine the extent of discoloration. Next, the dentist will remove the stained dental bonding material from your teeth. This procedure stage requires special techniques and equipment not to damage the teeth structure.

The dentist will then use a shade guide to help choose the dental bonding resin color. A shade that closely matches the color of your natural teeth is picked for uniformity. If you want a brighter smile than the previous one, the dentist will whiten your teeth to the shade you desire.

Next, topical anesthesia is administered. It ensures that you remain comfortable as the dentist prepares your teeth for bonding. The expert will gently roughen the teeth’ surface to prepare them for reapplication of the resin material. Next, a liquid adhesive is applied to each tooth to help the material stick to your tooth enamel.

Finally, the dentist will apply the new material over the part of the tooth the bonding was previously located. This material is molded or shaped to achieve the desired results. It is then hardened using ultraviolet light then shaped to a smooth surface. Finally, the dental professional will polish the dental bonding material. Polishing prevents the rough edges from irritating your tongue and lips.

Over the decades, we have seen an explosion of technological advancements in all sectors, including dentistry, making our lives way easier than at any other time in history. No longer should you worry about various dental issues such as cracks, chips, and even tooth decay dictate how your smile will look.

Our dentist in Crestwood, IL, offers dental inlays and onlays to help deal with some of the structural issues plaguing your smile. Even though dental crowns and fillings exist, inlays and onlays come into play when these two options are off the table.

Are you curious to know what these dental treatments can do for your smile? Take a closer look!

What Are Dental Inlays and Onlays?

Imagine that you have minor tooth damage because of decay, but fillings will not work, or your tooth has suffered significant damage, but it’s not too severe to need a tooth crown. When these scenarios are what plague you, our dentist will recommend inlays and onlays.

Inlays are the perfect solution when your tooth has minor damage. They are used when a filling will be inappropriate to strengthen the tooth after the damaged part has been removed. Our dentist will place the inlay on the chewing surface of your damaged tooth. The inlays will fit perfectly in the hollow of your teeth and not affect the tooth cusps.

Inlays can be created from composite resin and porcelain and are much sturdier than traditional fillings. The only issue is that you might have to part with some extra dollars, but they are worth every extra coin.

Our dentist may recommend that you go for onlays when there is significant damage to your tooth’s biting surface and cusps. Fillings will be inappropriate since they are too small to fill the space left when the damaged part is removed. Plus, a filling can damage or cause the tooth to crack if a significant portion of the tooth has been removed.

On the other hand, the damage is not that extensive to warrant the use of a dental crown. Therefore, an onlay seems to be the perfect fit since it will cover the chewing surface and the cusps. This is why they are often known as partial crowns.

You can either receive direct inlays and onlays made in our office while you wait or indirect inlays and onlays made in a lab and will need more time to create them.

Benefits of Dental Inlays and Onlays

Going for inlays and onlays is always an excellent idea since they can restore a tooth that has been compromised by moderate damage or decay. This means that it comes with a set of benefits that you can enjoy, and some of them include:

• More Conservative Treatment

Dental crowns are a fantastic treatment, but the problem is that they are quite invasive. But when our dentist uses inlays and onlays, only a small portion will be removed. Our dentist will only deal with the compromised part of the tooth. On the other hand, our dentist will have to remove a significant portion of the enamel to create space for the crown to fit.

• Most Cost-Effective

Since inlays and onlays are restorative treatments, most insurance plans will cover either in part or fully. Also, they are a better long-term investment even though they are more expensive than fillings.

• More Stability

If you go for amalgam fillings, the temperature fluctuations will cause the tooth to fracture. However, porcelain onlays and inlays have a more stable structure and a better solution in the long term.

• Increased Durability

Onlays and inlays are mainly made of porcelain. This is a durable material that can strengthen the tooth and can last for more than two decades if you care for them as you should.

• More Natural Results

Onlays and inlays are made from porcelain, which looks exactly like your natural teeth. Once the restorations are placed, they will blend seamlessly, enhancing the aesthetic appeal of your smile.

• Easy Aftercare

Onlays and inlays are just like your natural teeth. So, if you maintain proper oral hygiene each day, you can expect them to serve you for very many years.

Who Should Get Dental Inlays and Onlays?

You can be the perfect candidate to receive dental inlays and onlays if:

• The damage to your teeth isn’t severe to necessitate the removal of a huge chunk to create room for a tooth crown
• The damage or decay hasn’t affected the cusps
• The damage isn’t severe enough to warrant the use of a tooth filling

Contact us at Family Dental Care today if you wish to know more.