Dental Restoration Options: What Is a Dental Inlay?

Wondering whether a dental inlay is in your near future? Whenever a dental patient is experiencing problems with one or more of their teeth, it is essential that they visit a dental office as soon as possible. While dental inlays are a restoration option that is often used to repair damaged teeth, those who wait too long may no longer qualify if the tooth becomes too damaged to be repaired.

About dental restoration options

Understanding more about dental restoration options, including a dental inlay, is something every patient needs to do. When dental patients realize that many different types of restoration options are available nowadays, including both direct and indirect, they are more likely to make better decisions supporting their good oral health. These restoration options are in place to repair damaged teeth, which restores their overall integrity, allowing them once again to function properly.

A few examples of some of the more common types of dental restoration options include dental crowns, dental bridges, dental fillings, dental veneers, and dental inlays.

What is a dental inlay?

Dental inlays are a dental restoration option that helps restore a tooth so that it can once again be healthy. It can be easy for dental patients to be confused when it comes to understanding the difference between dental inlays and dental fillings, as they are both similar treatments. Dental inlays are used to restore larger portions of a tooth that have been affected by tooth decay, and dental fillings tend to be used to address smaller tooth decay problems. Dental patients who require dental inlays will have an impression taken of their tooth so that the inlay can be specifically created for their tooth, while dental fillings are directly placed into the patient's mouth at the time of treatment.

When are dental inlays necessary?

Dental inlays are necessary when a tooth will not benefit from having a dental filling placed, as fillings are only used to treat smaller tooth decay areas. Dental inlays provide patients with a stronger restoration option for larger tooth decay problems, which is necessary to save the tooth. When a dental professional places an inlay in a patient’s mouth, they will use a special dental cement to ensure that the inlay stays properly in place. The goal is to fully repair the tooth, as well as create a seal over the tooth so that it is now protected from further damage.

Are inlays the right choice for you?

In need of a dental restoration to improve your good oral health? A dental inlay is a restoration procedure that can save a tooth from being lost forever. It is often performed when a tooth has so much damage that a dental filling is not enough, yet a dental crown is not necessarily needed yet. The fact that inlays help repair problems with the molar teeth makes this restoration procedure very important.

Request an appointment here: https://www.drsarahlangston.com or call The Dental Wellness Group at (601) 533-4788 for an appointment in our Brandon office.

Check out what others are saying about our dental services on Yelp: Dental Inlay in Brandon, MS.