Which One Is Best Inlays & Onlays Vs. Veneers
When you think of dental care for children in a pediatric dental clinic in Columbia, you are likely to consider preventive dentistry as the only service available. On the contrary, pediatric dentists in 29223 offer more services than those for preventing dental cavities. Children, too, can benefit from restorative and cosmetic dental protocols for their smiles. As a parent, one of the things you should familiarize yourself with is inlays & onlays in Columbia, SC.
What Are Inlays and Onlays?
They are types of dental fillings that repair and restore damaged teeth. Inlays and onlays are indirect fillings that must be prepared in a dental laboratory, usually into solid pieces that can bond to teeth structures. It distinguishes them from standard dental fillings that dentists install directly on your tooth.
Typical dental fillings like amalgams, gold, and composite fillings are more common in restorative dentistry. In fact, a pediatric dentist near you will almost always recommend a composite tooth filling to restore your child’s decayed tooth.
How Do Inlays and Onlays Work?
Drs. Ellis, Green, and Jenkins have performed several restorative dental procedures to restore children’s teeth after dental decay. Most of them entail getting traditional dental fillings. However, you can opt to get inlays and onlays for your child’s treatment. Both work differently.
Ideally, inlays work best when the restorative work in question is too big for a standard filling. Therefore, an inlay would replace a substantial amount of the damaged tooth enamel to restore the tooth’s structure. On the other hand, an onlay works better when there is significant tooth damage beyond what an inlay can fix but not large enough to merit getting a dental crown. Since it can be overwhelming to determine which dental restoration is perfect for your child, you can rely on Dr. Diana Jennings’ guidance and recommendations.
How Do Dental Veneers Compare?
Dental veneers are oral appliances that repair and restore teeth’ aesthetics. They feature porcelain material just like inlays and onlays. However, veneers are not for restoring teeth’ functionality but rather for aesthetics. A dentist will recommend dental veneers to restore teeth’ color, size, shape, and alignment. Besides, dental veneers solely restore the front surfaces of teeth, while onlays and inlays restore the chewing surfaces.
The similarity between dental veneers and inlays & onlays strongly appears during preparation. A dentist would require to trim off part of the tooth enamel, take its impressions, then use them to create the perfect dental restoration. Their creation processes happen in dental laboratories.
Which One Should You Choose?
Various factors impact your choice of dental restoration. First, you must account for the reason for your treatment. Technically, emergency pediatric dentists in Columbia will prioritize a different aspect than cosmetic dentists. If your child is experiencing an oral emergency, think about urgent treatment to curb the spread of infection, alleviate pain, stop bleeding and manage the entire illness. However, if your child is not in danger, consider the following aspects when determining the better choice between inlays and onlays vs. dental veneers:
- Degree of tooth damage – how much of your child’s tooth structure is compromised? If aesthetic modifications would be enough to fix your child’s tooth, then dental veneers are better than inlays and onlays.
- Location of the tooth – dental veneers are perfect for restoring the front teeth and inlays and onlays for the back teeth.
- Purpose of the treatment – why do you need your child to undergo treatment? If it is solely for aesthetics, dental veneers are the perfect restoration. Inlays and onlays are incredible for restoring damaged and diseased teeth.
- Alternative dental procedures – the good thing about modern dentistry is that it offers a variety of options for restoring natural teeth, whether regarding functionality or appearance. Therefore, you should not be preoccupied with one dental restoration that you lose sight of the others.
- Child’s age – when a child is too young, you should avoid putting them through invasive medical procedures unless they are necessary. Since dental veneers are for cosmetic modifications in dentistry, let your child get a little older before undergoing elective dental processes to improve their smiles appearances.