Porcelain-bonded Crowns
Sometimes, decay and damage to teeth is so extensive that a filling will not restore it adequately. Previously, the only option available would be a full or partial-coverage gold or porcelain crown, resulting in the sacrifice of significant amounts of healthy tooth structure. (We would have had to remove healthy material on the sides of the tooth so that the crown would stay on.)
With porcelain-bonding technology, we can now make partial-coverage porcelain onlays that adhere both physically and chemically to a tooth. We do not have to remove nearly as much existing tooth, and studies show that the bond between the tooth and the onlay is so strong the tooth a tooth would actually break before the bond. We are also able to make these onlays look like perfect natural teeth. Many times, when a patient with onlays comes back for routine cleanings, the only way we are able to tell the difference between the onlay and an unrestored natural tooth, is by looking at the patient’s check up X-rays.