Home » General Dentistry » Porcelain Inlays

Porcelain inlays are indirect fillings that fit into cavities or holes left by old fillings.   In many respects, they work like tooth fillings because they fit inside the cusps of teeth to do their jobs. However, porcelain inlays are day and night compared to traditional metal tooth fillings.  They made from an entirely different substance, and the process used to make them is similar in many respects to that of making a dental crown.  Porcelain inlays are manufactured in a laboratory to match the shape and size of your teeth.  They restore the cosmetic appearance of your smile, and they strengthen your bite by restoring the original surface previously destroyed by tooth decay. 

We at the Cosmetic Dentistry Center of Houston never recommend silver-mercury amalgam fillings.  Instead, we fill cavities and small tooth fractures with composite resin through a process known as cosmetic dental bonding.  Dental bonding, however, requires that a certain amount of original tooth mass be present in order for the procedure to be successful tooth mass in order to be performed.  When tooth fracture has destroyed too much of the original tooth surface, a porcelain inlay can be used to restore the appearance and function of the tooth so it does not have to be extracted.  For people who cannot afford dental implants at this time, the placement of one or more porcelain inlay(s) can be a financially viable and lasting alternative. 

The manufacture of porcelain inlays is similar to the manufacture of cosmetic dental crowns.  It takes two appointments to make your inlays and to place them.   During your first office visit, the dentist will begin by cleaning up the affected teeth and preparing them for the placement of inlays.  The dentist will numb the areas around these teeth to make the procedure painless.  If the problem is old fillings, he or she will then extract what remains of your old fillings from the interior of your teeth.  A rubber dam may be used to prevent filling debris from falling into your mouth.  Decayed areas will also be removed at this time, and the remaining healthy portion of your teeth will be reshaped. 

The dentist then makes impressions of your teeth that then become working models of your natural bite.  These impressions are essential to the final outcome and must be meticulously taken in order to create inlays that properly fit your teeth.  The dentist may even place a small string between your teeth and gums in order to push them gums gently back and away from tooth surfaces.  Once the impressions have been made, the dentist places temporary inlays in your mouth and requisitions the manufacture of your permanent porcelain inlays.  These generally take approximately one to two weeks for the laboratory to produce.  When they are complete, the dentist then calls you back to our office, removes the temporary inlays, and replaces them with the permanents.  The dentist then checks your bite with colored tape to ensure that your teeth are lining up properly, and he or she also flosses between the teeth to make certain there are no tight spots.

Once your teeth have passed inspection, the dentist then permanently cements your porcelain inlays in place.  You can expect them to anywhere from 10 to 30 years, and you can count on them to be one of the most cost effective and aesthetically pleasing cosmetic tooth restoration procedures in which you could have invested.