Dental Inlays and Onlays in Valparaiso
providing exceptional customized & comprehensive dental care
We provide an Esthetic and Conservative Dental Solution
Dentistry offers more options to help restore your teeth and maintain optimum oral health. One of the most effective and esthetic restorative dental options is a dental inlay or dental onlay. Your teeth are exposed to harsh acidic products and are subjected to heavy bite forces where they can become worn, chipped, or fractured. Over a lifetime many teeth are comprised of large fillings and these teeth are vulnerable to fracturing and need to be protected with a dental onlay. If a tooth needs more than a large filling, then a dental inlay might be the best conservative option to care for the tooth. In short, inlays and onlays are two excellent cosmetic dental restorations that repair teeth that require more than a filling, but not a dental crown.
Dr. Drone and our on-site dental laboratory can make your custom inlay or onlay from a variety of materials such as ceramic, resin or gold materials. Today, most patients choose the ceramic material due to their improved durability and their natural appearance. Dental inlays and onlays have the advantage of providing a functional and cosmetic dental solution for optimal oral health. An inlay or onlay is a more conservative dental restoration since we can preserve most of your natural tooth.
Schedule Your Appointment Today
Dr. Drone is a native of Wheatfield, IN and has been practicing dentistry since 2003 and opened his private practice in Valparaiso, IN in 2007. Dr. Drone earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery from Indiana University School of Dentistry and earned his advanced specialty degrees in Prosthodontics and Maxillofacial Prosthodontics from Indiana University School of Dentistry and Medicine.
Call Our Office Today At (219) 462-2564
Is a Dental Onlay or Dental Inlay the Right Dental Solution for You?
Before treating a broken or damaged tooth, Dr. Drone will perform a comprehensive dental examination to determine your best restorative option. A tooth with a small cavity or small defective filling may require a restoration as simple as a dental resin filling. A tooth with a moderate size cavity, a defective filling, or partially damaged can often benefit from a dental inlay or dental onlay. A dental crown would be the best option if the tooth has extensive decay, fractured or has a defective filling and vulnerable to further breakdown. Any of these options are often the recommended choice to replace large fillings that have failed due to recurrent decay or have fractured.
Indications for a need for a dental inlay or onlay
- Tooth with extensive dental decay
- Tooth moderately fractured by trauma
- Tooth with existing large fillings (large fillings can make teeth vulnerable to fracturing)
- Root canal treated tooth
- Discolored tooth
- Restore an unstable bite
- Tooth wear
- Improve contour of misaligned tooth
If one is not proactive in treating any of the above examples then the teeth are at a high risk of being lost. Replacing a missing tooth is usually more expensive and there can be a consequence of achieving an optimal outcome. Dental inlays and onlays are another effective restorative dental options to protect and strengthen a compromised tooth and with the custom shade matching from our dental laboratory technicians, the crown blends flawlessly with the natural teeth.
Dental Inlays and Onlays have both functional and cosmetic characteristics
Inlays and onlays restore strength and can protect against future damage and breakdown of the compromised teeth. An inlay replaces the area within the cusps of the teeth on the chewing surface of the tooth, similar to a dental filling. An onlay replaces the chewing surface of the tooth plus one or more damaged or weakened cusps. Both restoration types are made of safe and biocompatible materials and can be made of gold, resin and all ceramic materials like Emax or zirconia. Our dental inlays and onlays are custom designed from the finest materials by our state-of-the-art dental laboratory to provide longevity and are indistinguishable from your natural existing teeth. Many times patients lack self-confidence due to severely discolored teeth from decay, silver fillings, trauma or genetics and dental inlays and onlays frequently are a recommended cosmetic dental solution to enhance the appearance of a single tooth, multiple teeth or smile make-over. Our ceramists enjoy meeting our patients and providing custom shade matching for your new inlay or onlay.
What are the benefits for a dental inlay or onlay?
Inlays and onlays offer several benefits over other cosmetic treatment options. When a tooth is affected by wear, cracks, fractures, large dental fillings or severe decay, a routine dental filling or dental bonding is inferior to a dental inlay or onlay. Placing a large resin filling can actually weaken the tooth and could result in a broken tooth that may need a root canal to be saved or possibly extracted. With an inlay or onlay Dr. Drone only removes the damaged tooth structure and preserves the rest of your healthy tooth. Inlay and onlays are custom made from the strongest dental materials to protect compromised teeth and to restore an unstable bite. Teeth that are severely discolored due to trauma, genetics, and large silver fillings do not respond with teeth whitening products and inlays and onlays can be an excellent dental option to improve your cosmetic appearance and your self-confidence. Fillings and dental bonding are made of resins and can stain and discolor, but inlays and onlays are resistant to stains so they can provide a long lasting outcome and ultimately help you look and feel healthier, live
better, improve your self-esteem.
We provide the best outcomes when designing inlays and onlays
Dental materials are ever changing and improving, but the clinical skills and knowledge of the dentist makes a significant difference in every outcome in dentistry. Prosthodontics is a recognized dental specialty by the American Dental Association. Prosthodontists have advanced education and training with expertise in: cosmetic dentistry, dental materials, designing of inlays and onlays, review of literature, advanced technology, state-of-the-art techniques, and extensive training in clinical and dental laboratory procedures. Dr. Michael Drone is a prosthodontist and his knowledge and skills aid him in selecting the best material for you whether it is for a dental crown, dental bridge, dental inlay, dental onlay, dental implants, dentures, removable partial dentures, dental bonding and fillings, or for specialized TeethXpress implant dentistry. Michael Drone Dentistry has a well-known reputation for providing excellent dentistry for patients and you will see that our dental inlays and onlays will provide you with a superior result.
Dental Crown Procedure
Dr. Drone and his dental technicians will take photos of your teeth and draft a personalized sketch to capture the shape of your tooth and all the colors required to make your custom inlay or onlay look life-like. Dr. Drone will gently apply anesthetic and then proceed to reshape and polish your tooth. An impression will be taken by using one of our three state-of-the-art digital impression scanners. The impression takes just a few short minutes. These digital scans will instantly be sent to our dental laboratory computers. From there, our talented dental technicians will begin designing your restoration. Within a few weeks, your custom designed inlay or onlay will be hand-crafted to blend flawlessly with your natural teeth. In the meantime, a temporary inlay or onlay is fabricated to cover and protect your tooth while the new restoration is being fabricated. When you return for the delivery of your inlay or onlay, Dr. Drone will evaluate the color, shape and fit. A dental x-ray is always taken to verify the precise fit before the restoration is permanently cemented.
Are You a Good Candidate?
Dental inlays and onlays are one of several restorative treatments for a specific dental concern. These restorations function to protect and preserve your oral health and restore your confident smile. Candidates requiring a dental inlay or onlay must have good general and oral health. Dr. Drone is a prosthodontist with extensive knowledge and training in cosmetic dentistry, implant dentistry, and restorative dentistry and is a recognized in Northwest Indiana for creating specialized dental solutions.
During a consultation you can learn more about whether you are a good candidate for an inlay or onlay or if there is another dental restorative option that can serve your unique dental needs. We invite you to contact Michael Drone Dentistry & Prosthodontics today at 219.462.2564.
Services Michael Drone Dentistry & Prosthodontics Offers
Implant Dentistry
Single Tooth Replacement
Multiple Teeth Replacement
Dental Implant Crowns
Dental Implant Bridges
Implant Dentures
Sleep Apnea Therapy
Cosmetic Dentistry
Ceramic Inlays & Onlays
Professional Teeth Whitening
Aesthetic Dental Bonding
Porcelain Veneers
Dental Cleaning Exams
Oral Hygiene and Care
Gum Disease Treatment
Bruxism & TMJ Therapy
Full Mouth Reconstruction
Tooth Extractions
Dental Fillings
Dental Crowns
Dentures
Teeth in an Hour
Root Canal
Emergency
Professional Involvement
We work with a dedicated team of professionals to make sure that your experience is the absolute best it can be. From our friendly front office staff, the assistants who work closely with Dr. Drone, our hygiene staff that helps our patients walk away with beautifully clean teeth and easy-to-understand dental knowledge, to the other specialists we are honored to work with; our knowledgeable dental staff will care for you every step of the way.
Exemplary Patient Outcomes
We understand the importance of having a healthy, comfortable bite. We are able to provide each patient with excellent quality restorative dental solutions. An in-office consultation will allow us to diagnose and determine how your unique needs can best be met through our restorative dental options.