Suffering from a large filling which keeps coming off or breaking? An inlay or onlay might be a good option for you.

 

Similar to dental crowns, inlays/onlays are fabricated in a dental laboratory. They are then cemented onto your tooth.

Inlays are manufactured from porcelain or composite resin material matching the color of the tooth, and provide almost invisible dental restoration while repairing the chewing surface. Inlays/onlays are generally more durable than regular fillings made from composite or amalgam.

 

So the question is, when would your dentist recommend an inlay/onlay, and how is it different from dental crowns? Inlays/onlays are similar to crowns, but they are smaller and therefore require less trimming of the teeth to make space for them. They are a great option for when a tooth has a cavity that’s too big for a normal filling, but not big enough to justify a crown! 

When you have a tooth that is badly broken due to decay, has been root canal treated or has some cracks in it, a crown might be the best option for you. A dental crown functions as a ‘cap’ around the tooth which holds the tooth structure together, ensuring that it maintains its physical and structural integrity while also restoring your tooth to its original appearance. Crowns can also be used to improve cosmetic appearances of your teeth.

Dental bridges on the other hand, serve to replace missing teeth. It consists of one or more dental crowns which are fused together, aiming to close the gap caused by the missing tooth. A typical dental bridge consists of a filler tooth called a “pontic” that is attached to two surrounding crowns. The dental bridge is then cemented to the teeth adjoining the gap.

 

Our office provides multiple choices of materials for dental crowns/bridges. They can be made of metal, porcelain, or a combination of both. Consult our dentists to know which material is suitable for you!

The most traditional and familiar method of tooth replacement, dentures are a removable “plate” that can help replace your missing teeth.

 

We offer a few different types of dentures in our office, such as acrylic dentures, metal-based dentures, flexible dentures as well as implant-supported dentures.

Sometimes, when a severely decayed tooth is left untreated, infection can spread into the innermost layer of the tooth called the dental pulp, which houses the nerves and blood supply of our teeth. To save the tooth and prevent an extraction, a root canal treatment would be the best option for you.

 

Other situations where a root canal treatment might be indicated is when the blood supply to the tooth has been cut off due to trauma, and you start to notice discolouration of your tooth/discomfort to the tooth upon biting.

 

During a root canal procedure, the infected nerves and tissue in your teeth will be removed and your root canal will be disinfected before being filled up again to prevent reinfection. 

 

Our office is commited to providing top quality root canal treatment and ensuring a safe environment for our patients during the procedure. We use rubber dams during the procedure and we are equipped with the best technology like 3D X-rays for more complicated teeth and use rotary instruments to clean inside the tooth.