Cosmetic Dental Restoration Options

Happy GirlIf your knowledge of dental restorations doesn’t span far beyond fillings and dental crowns, you are not unlike most laymen. Fillings work for mild to moderate tooth decay, while crowns provide much more support when the remainder of natural tooth structure is minimal and requires significant reinforcement. Skokie cosmetic dentist, Dr. Brent Engelberg will tell you about two procedures that fall in between fillings and crowns in terms of restorative support: inlays and onlays.

Describing Inlays and Onlays

Inlays are placed between the cusps on top of the tooth that has a severe cavity. Onlays go even further and cover the cusps all the way down to at least one side of the tooth.Both inlays and onlays are fabricated from high-quality, tooth-colored ceramic, customized to fit the contours of your remaining natural tooth. You are provided with the appearance of a full, undamaged tooth that functions the same as the rest of your teeth.

Restoration Comparisons

Inlays and onlays are more similar to fillings in the amount of restoration they give to a tooth. They simply provide a larger amount of coverage to a decaying area. Dr. Engelberg will implement a material called composite resin for all three of these restorations. Composite materials are tooth-colored and pliant, but harden easily with exposure to a curing light once they have been shaped to satisfaction. Dental crowns are made from harder materials such as pressed porcelain. Crowns are basically shaped like a shell of a tooth, designed to replace the anatomical structure of a tooth crown (the portion of dentin above the gumline).  The restoration which is best for is easily determined by Dr. Engelberg upon examination of your level and location of decay or damage.

Dental Restorations from Skokie Cosmetic Dentist

Are you interested in learning more about your restorative dental options? To reach our 60077 dentist office, call 847-259-8030. We are happy to serve patients in Northbrook, Deerfield, Highland Park, Wilmette, Winnetka, Glencoe, Vernon Hills, Lincolnshire, Libertyville, Skokie, Evanston, Palatine, Schaumburg, Elk Grove Village, Rolling Meadows, Northwest Chicago Suburbs, and Northern Chicago Suburbs.