What are inlays and onlays?
Often referred to as partial crowns, inlays and onlays are used to strengthen a slightly damaged tooth, restoring its shape and preventing further harm. An inlay is used when the cusps of the tooth are intact. It’s placed directly on the tooth to strengthen and restore its integrity. Onlays are required for teeth with slightly more damage.
What’s the process like?
First, the decayed part of the tooth is removed, and a mold is taken. This mold will be sent to a dental lab where a custom porcelain, gold, or composite resin restoration will be fabricated. This typically takes 2 to 3 weeks and a temporary inlay or onlay may be placed on the impacted tooth in the meantime. When the permanent version is ready, you’ll come back to the office and the inlay or onlay will be placed in your mouth and set with cement.
This restoration will seamlessly blend in with your surrounding teeth, giving you a healthy and harmonious smile.
You deserve to sleep well and wake up feeling well and refreshed.
You deserve to sleep well and wake up feeling well and refreshed.
Many people suffer from bruxism, or teeth grinding, at night, which can impact the quality of your sleep and your overall oral health. Some people do this during the day as well, but it’s a larger problem at night and can even occur without you knowing.
Grinding your teeth at night can damage your tooth enamel, wear down your teeth, cause jaw pain or irritate your gums. It can also be associated with sleep apnea issues.
One solution to this is a night guard. A night guard is custom fitted to your mouth, allows for proper breathing, and provides a barrier between your top and bottom teeth while you sleep. Your dentist will simply take an impression of your teeth, sending the results to a dental lab where your custom guard will be fabricated. Night guards are durable and can last up to ten years.
If you’re curious about other ways to stop grinding your teeth, you can also focus on relaxing your jaw regularly instead of keeping it clenched. The teeth should never touch, so if you are someone that holds your teeth together during the day, you are likely clenching at night as well. Refraining from chewing on objects, such as pens, and avoiding too much alcohol and caffeine can also help.
If you think you have an issue with grinding your teeth, we’re happy to help. Give us a call and we’ll set up an appointment to get you on the path to better health and better sleep.
Protective Mouth Guards
It’s imperative that athletes who play contact sports wear a mouth guard to protect their smiles from potential damage. Suitable for all ages, mouth guards help prevent structural damage to your teeth and jaw as well as lacerations to your cheeks, tongue and lips. Research has also shown that they help reduce the risk of concussions, making them a valuable part of your uniform.
Although mouth guards can be purchased in sporting goods stores, they typically don’t offer the best level of protection for your unique smile. To ensure your mouth is protected, we invite you to visit us for a custom mouth guard fitting. This way, we can tailor the mouth guard to fit you perfectly, using thin plastic that will mold to fit your teeth, allow for easy breathing, and still promote easy speech (for calling out those drills!).
Some sports that benefit from wearing a mouthguard:
- Football
- Hockey
- Lacrosse
- Wrestling
- Basketball
- Baseball/Softball
- Soccer
- Weightlifting
- Any sport where contact is a possibility
Contact sports are more fun if your smile stays intact. If you’re an athlete, we’d love to custom fit you for a mouth guard that will protect your grin while you do your thing on the court, field, or rink.