The inlays and onlays are not directly made in the patient’s mouth like fillings but they should be made in the dental laboratory. For this reason, the installation requires at least two visits to the dentist.
Fisrt appointment
During the first visit is the removal of caries and any old fillings from teeth is necessary . Then we prepare the suitable shaped space ,where the onlay/inlay will be adjusted.
Then, the dentist uses impression material to get an impression of the tooth .
This impression will be sent to the dental laboratory to fabricate the restoration.
Finally your dentist ,manufactures and place in a tooth temporary restoration of polymer material that protects the tooth until the second visit.
Laboratory magic
For the preparation of the inlay-onlay different materials such as porcelain, synthetic resin, or gold can be used. The porcelain gives the best aesthetic result, gold is the most stable and synthetic resins provide the most economical result.
Today however, the porcelain is the most preferred material.
Second visit
During the second visit after 2-3 days, the temporary restoration is removed and the inlay-onlay is fixed in the tooth and secured using a special adhesive.
Minor adjustments to ensure proper closure are made and finally the points of contact with the natural tooth and the neighboring teeth are smoothed.
Athina Tsiorva