Cavities can be big and small, and our team at Cosmetic Dental Associates can choose the best restorative dental treatment that best repairs the extent of the damage to your tooth caused by decay.
But what if tooth decay leaves a hole that’s not quite big enough to need a dental crown, yet too big to be helped by a standard dental filling?
Inlays and onlays in our San Antonio, TX dental office are a great choice for your smile and your oral health!

Why You Might Need An Inlay Or Onlay

Dental restorations are incredibly valuable for how they protect trouble teeth from taking on further damage, decay, or infection. It’s a routine treatment in every dentist office across the world.
Years ago, restorative dentistry would have been used to save a tooth, just like it is today, but it meant you had to sacrifice appearance for the sake of your health.
That’s because many restorations in the past were crafted out of dark materials often mixed with mercury. These were durable and effective in preserving a once unhealthy tooth.
The problem, though, is that you’d have to deal with the ways it may have impacted the look of your smile because silver fillings, even those on the back molars, would stand out against your surrounding white teeth.
So you were basically treating one dental problem while creating another cosmetic problem.
Not that dental problems don’t come up throughout your life, of course. You could experience:
-Surface damage to your tooth enamel
-An injury to the mouth that knocked out or broke a tooth
-Bacterial infection on the inside of a tooth
-Tooth decay and cavities
These issues need to be treated right away to keep them from getting worse.
But fortunately, you no longer have to choose between your health and your appearance thanks to tooth-colored materials we now use to fill cavities and other dental problems.
Often, if you don’t treat a cavity, for example, it will grow too large for a regular filling.
That’s when we’d use a dental crown to cover it after the decay has been removed.
But sometimes a cavity can be too big for a filling, yet too small to warrant a crown.
Inlays and onlays are the happy medium!
Using a composite material that matches your tooth’s natural color, we can fill the damaged portion of your teeth with:
*Inlays if the affected area is on the side of a tooth
*Onlays if the problem area lies on the top of your tooth
Both accomplish the same goal, which is to fill the ravaged portion of a tooth that’s been eaten away at or broken off for whatever reason.

Inlays & Onlays Are A Simple Smile Solution

Thanks to our commitment to state-of-the-art dental technology, inlays and onlays are just one of the simple smile solutions you can choose from at Cosmetic Dental Associates.
With this particular restorative treatment, we’re able to save a tooth from decay without forcing you to sacrifice your appearance.
First, Dr. Moore or Dr. Tostado will carefully and gently remove the decay affecting your tooth and then begin the creation process of your restoration.
That will ensure your tooth is clean and healthy, that decay won’t spread in that area, and thanks to our in-house lab, you won’t have to wait for the permanent restoration to be crafted.
At the end, you’re going to have a healthy smile again, and one that won’t give away the fact that you just had dental work done because it will all blend in with your smile.

Call For An Appointment!

See why inlays and onlays are a great choice for your smile at Cosmetic Dental Associates!
When you restore unhealthy teeth with this restorative treatment, you can keep your smile intact and feel confident that your dental work won’t disturb your appearance.
Call our San Antonio office today at 210-951-4444 (Medical Center) 210-942-5047 (Alamo Ranch) or fill out our online form to schedule your restorative dental treatment.