Is There an Alternative to Dental Filling?
Many people have witnessed that some fillings can cause distress even when they're treated. To summarize the problems associated with classical fillings;
- The tooth with the filling may still be painful and irritable,
- The yellow or black colour of the filling may have grayed out the colour of the tooth, and this may not look pleasant especially when smiling,
- They may be breakage or crumbling in the filling,
- Food particles can get stuck between teeth and become difficult to remove.
Advantages of Porcelain Inlays
The concept of aesthetics has become crucial in today's dentistry. The expectation from the dentist is not only to give functionality back to the tooth but also to do it aesthetically. When working in the mouth, aesthetic can be achieved by choosing the materials that will best suit the natural look. In this respect, the most ideal material is porcelain. The advantages of porcelain inlays can be summarized as follows;
- They look natural and aesthetic. as they have the same light transmittance as a real tooth.
- As they are as hard as a tooth, they prevent breakage from biting and ensure the teeth are as healthy as they were.
- The "reinforced pressable ceramics" used for porcelain inlays are the most compatible material for the tooth and surrounding tissues among the existing oral restoration materials.
- In addition to superiour aesthetic with laboratory-prepared porcelain inlays, optimum contact is ensured with neighbouring teeth. This prevents food from getting stuck in between teeth, and it's also so natural that we don't even feel it's there.
- Its hardness is very close to that of the enamel texture, so it's compatible with other teeth, and doesn't wear off like composite fillings.
- It's a treatment method where healthy dental tissue is preserved.
- It doesn't hold bacteria because it's polished on all sides, it's not affected by heath changes in the mouth, acid and saliva.
- Regular fillings wear off due to heat changes in the mouth and force of chewing, and may need to be replaced after a while. Inlays are made of porcelain in a laboratory, so they're not affected by corrosive factors in the mouth, doesn't wear off, deteriorate or lose its polish. That's why they can be used for many years.
- It's tissue-friendly and anti-allergic when it's made from the right material.
While searching for the causes of these and trying to solve the problems, getting new fillings isn’t always the answer. In this case, our recommendation is white inlay fillings. White inlay fillings are very similar to regular fillings, but are produced with more durable materials in the lab, and then are glued on teeth.
Inlay fillings are ideal for teeth that are too damaged to carry a regular filling. Especially for grinder teeth, if we don’t want to cut the teeth and use veneers, white inlay fillings are quite successful in repairing broken or decayed teeth.
Why Can We Prefer Them?
Inlays that cover a large part of the chewing surface of the teeth are called "onlays". In summary, they’re very similar to inlays but they're not fillings. It's a restoration method between a veneer and a filling. We can choose to inlay if we don't want to shave and make a tooth smaller. If the gap in the tooth is too deep and the filling will be broken, inlay will be preferable. It doesn't require to shave off the tooth like a veneer does, nor does it carry the risk of breaking like a filling does. It's one of the most preferred methods of new age preventive dentistry practices in developed countries. When evaluated in terms of cost, we can say it's more costly than fillings but cheaper than veneers.