One reason people find dentistry so complex is that we have various, different treatments for the same problem. For example, teeth needing repair could be fixed with onlays or dental crowns in Candler, NC. Both procedures restore teeth and give back functionality to your bite.
However, each procedure offers key benefits, and identifying when each one is needed is where a dentist’s expertise shines. To help you understand that, in this article, we’ll explain the differences between dental crowns and onlays, with key takeovers to help you know when you need each one.
Dental Crowns vs. Dental Onlays: Which is Right for You?
What Are Dental Crowns?
A dental crown is a customized cap that’s placed on top of a compromised or weakened tooth to restore its form, resilience, and chewing functions. Besides giving patients a full smile, they help protect damaged teeth and provide strength.
Dental crowns are a flexible treatment option for many different dental problems, such as:
- Guarding a Weak Tooth: When a tooth has cracks or significant decay, it becomes feeble and more vulnerable. Crowns act as a shield, covering the tooth and preventing it from fracturing.
- Restoring a Broken Tooth: They can reinforce and reconstruct a tooth that has fractured due to an accident.
- Covering a Big Filling: Over time, teeth with large fillings may become weaker. Dental crowns can support the tooth's structure and prevent additional damage.
- Improving Cosmetic Appearance: Crowns are also utilized for aesthetic reasons. They can enhance the appearance of a tooth's color, shape, and alignment while covering imperfections like stains or discolored areas.
- Root Canal Treatment: After a root canal treatment, crowns are often necessary to restore the treated teeth.
- Restorative dentistry: Crowns are used in various restorative dentistry procedures. They hold dental bridges in place and cover dental implants to give the patient’s smile a natural-looking appearance.
What Are Dental Onlays?
Dental onlays are caps that are placed over a damaged tooth, which is why they’re also known as partial crowns. In contrast to inlays, which slide into a tooth's grooves, onlays cover a bigger area of the tooth, including one or more cusps.
This is typically necessary when a tooth has a significant cavity that extends beyond the tooth’s center and cannot be fully restored by a traditional white filling—but still does not call for a dental crown. It’s a subtle limit that an experienced dentist can identify.
Onlays restore the patient’s biting surface while keeping more of the original tooth’s structure intact. They are mainly used for:
- Large Cavities: Dental onlays help fill large cavities that a traditional filling is unable to treat properly.
- Cracked Teeth: Onlays can strengthen and repair a tooth with a fracture or other damage.
Learn More About Dental Crowns in Candler, NC
Dental crowns and onlays have both unique advantages and applications in restorative dentistry. While both restore and protect damaged teeth, they do so to different extents.
If you think you may be in need of one of these treatments, an expert dentist from Cataloochee Dental Group can help you. Give us a call!
