INLAYS, ONLAYS, OVERLAYS

When the loss of dental tissue is too extensive for a filling to withstand chewing function, the most conservative way to restore what has been lost is a ceramic or reinforced composite inlay. If the damage is more extensive, the final alternative is a dental crown.

After preparing the tooth, giving it a specific shape for the inlay (if it only fills the internal part), onlay (if it covers one or more cusps), or overlay (if it covers all its cusps), an impression (mold) is taken, and at the next visit, it is cemented so that the tooth regains its anatomy, aesthetics, and chewing function/strength in a more predictable and long-lasting way than a filling.

CROWN, CAP OR BRIDGE

When the amount of lost tooth structure is too great and there are no walls to support our restorations, the treatment of choice is a crown/cap (if it is a single tooth) or a bridge (if it involves more than one tooth).

In order to place the crown, the lost part of the tooth must first be rebuilt (as if it were a filling – link to filling section – ), and then its perimeter is reduced so that, once the crown is placed in the mouth, it occupies exactly the same volume as the original tooth, while restoring both its aesthetics and chewing function.

Whether it is a single tooth (crown) or multiple teeth (bridge), the procedure is the same: filing and reducing the tooth to create the necessary space for the materials that make up the fixed prosthesis. This sometimes necessitates performing a root canal (link to endo), since by reducing the height, the nerve may be exposed.

Currently, there are different types of materials with which crowns can be made; from the more traditional (metal-ceramic) to the more aesthetic (lithium disilicate or zirconia). Everything will depend on the tooth that needs to be restored.