Jasleen Brar, DDS, cares for patients through AA Family Dental Group in Tustin, California. As a dentist, Jasleen Brar, DDS, focuses particularly on inlays, onlays, and other cosmetic dental procedures.
Also known as partial crowns, inlays and onlays can be used to restore teeth when traditional fillings are deemed insufficient. Like traditional crowns, they provide strength and stability support, though typically with less loss to tooth structure.
An inlay is appropriate for situations in which the exterior circumference of the tooth is free from damage. The material for an inlay is placed in the center of the tooth, whereas an onlay fits over at least one corner or the tooth's entire chewing surface. Both are custom fit to the tooth and thus require in-depth preparation.
An inlay or onlay require the dentist to remove the decayed portion of the tooth and take an impression, which then goes to a professional laboratory. This laboratory creates a porcelain, metal, or composite restoration. While the laboratory is preparing the final product, the patient wears a temporary restoration.
At the patient's second visit, the dentist uses cement to set the restoration in place. The stability of this cement, in combination with the custom fit of the restoration itself, create a reliable and stable long-term solution for decay or damage.
