Dental treatment options – composite inlays

Have you heard about composite inlays? The UV cured restoration treatment that is available at our dentist Luton?

In restorative dentistry, there are three common ways to restore damaged teeth: the inlay, the onlay and the overlay most commonly used with molars. Sometimes referred to as partial crowns, they work due to a severely damaged area of the tooth being removed (either due to advanced decay or trauma) and a void being created. This void would be moulded using a dental clay impression, and that mould would be sent away so an enamel or porcelain partial prosthetic could be fabricated. In the meantime, a temporary filling or crown would be used. Once the prosthetic arrived at the clinic it was fitted in place using dental cement based adhesive.

They had always been effective but the delay between the two sessions was less than ideal. However, with new light cured adhesives originally developed to hold veneers in place, we have a new option. 

In-situ composite bondings

After the severely damaged parts of the tooth are removed, what remains is coated in a layer of resin. This resin when exposed to UV lights from inta-oral UV diodes, becomes hard and tough. This not only protects the remaining tooth by providing a barrier between it and the rest of the mouth but also contributes significantly to its strength. The shade of the resin can easily be controlled by mixing in a wide range of pigments allowing our dental team to match the tone of your natural enamel.

There is no reason why multiple layers of resin cannot be applied directly on top of each other. These firmly adhere to one another meaning that no matter how badly damaged a tooth is, with enough layers of resin, a pseudo crown can be built up in the patient’s mouth.

When enough mass has been gained our dentist Luton can shape and sculpt the in-situ bonding using a standard dental drill. This can give the bonding an extremely convincing natural-looking final finish, making it suitable for even the most visible areas of the mouth.

The advantage of bondings is that by allowing the entire treatment to occur in a single session, it makes it an interesting mix of restorative and emergency dental care, bringing back functions to teeth that have been critically damaged while also providing the quality finish that you would expect from a crown or veneer. Thanks to our capacity to mix resin pigments during the treatment and apply different translucency in each layer of the bonding, the results will usually be seamless.

If you’re curious how composite in-situ inlays could help you feel more confident in your smile, feel free to get in contact with our dentist Luton. We are always happy to provide advice over the phone and see emergency appointments if required. If a tooth is extremely damaged, we do have the capacity to fabricate crowns on-site thanks to our automated milling equipment. If a tooth has reached the point where it would be incapable of supporting an inlay or overlay, we can provide additional options to make sure you get the most effective treatment for you.