 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Inlays
THE GOLD INLAY AS A DENTAL RESTORATION
Our practice philosophy is to restore every tooth we treat with the most permanent materials possible. Consistent with this philosophy, we do not replace large "silver" fillings with even larger "silver" fillings. Any dental restoration is part of your body and, as such, should be of the best materials available.
WHY ARE SILVER FILLINGS DONE ON SMALL CAVITIES?
Our doctors do use silver fillings on one-surface cavities. Such a small filling has little stress on it; it is supported by good tooth structure on all sides. With a predictable life-span of 15 years or so, gold is not required on one-surface fillings. It is feasible to have a one-surface gold inlay as it will never breakdown chemically as all silver fillings do. However, since one-surface silver lasts so long, it is the best economic choice.
 |
 |
WHAT IS A TWO-SURFACE FILLING AND WHY DOES IT FAIL SO QUICKLY IF DONE IN SILVER AMALGAM?
A two-surface filling is one that includes the top of the tooth and one side of the tooth, usually the front or the back. This creates a weak point because a large part of such a filling is not supported by a wall of healthy tooth structure. Chewing forces (which are thousands of pounds per square-inch) inevitably cause fracture. Either the filling or the tooth will break.
WHY IS GOLD A BETTER MATERIAL?
A gold inlay is cast in one piece; hence, it is solid and cannot break. In addition, gold is chemically a "noble metal". This means it is totally nonreactive with anything in the mouth. It will not corrode, rust, break, chip or fracture. Gold supports the remaining tooth structure; silver is supported by the remaining tooth structure. Because gold is malleable, it "smears" into the tooth with age and often fits better 20 years later that it did when it was put in. Gold is truly the perfect dental restorative material.
 |
 |
 |
|
HOW MANY APPOINTMENTS WILL MY GOLD INLAY TAKE?
It will take two appointments. The first appointment is for preparation. We cleanout all the old silver, decay, etc. then take an impression. A soft temporary is placed in the tooth for 5-7 days while our laboratory makes your inlay. The second appointment is for seating the unit. After final adjustments, the inlay is permanently cemented.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A COMPOSITE FILLING AND A TOOTH COLORED INLAY?
A composite filling sets inside the mouth, whereas, a tooth colored inlay is fully cured outside the mouth in a controlled environment. The laboratory fabrication of the inlay prevents the natural shrinkage that occurs within the mouth during the curing phase.
DO I NEED TO BE CAREFUL WITH MY TEMPORARY?
Yes! That is why we call them "temporaries"! Avoid sticky or unusually hard foods. A temporary can certainly break or come out. If so, come into our office at your earliest convenience and we will place another one.
WILL MY FINAL INLAY EVER COME OUT?
This is possible, but unlikely. If your inlay does come out, we will try recementing it; if it comes out repeatedly we will make you another one.
ONCE FINISHED, WILL MY TOOTH BE SENSITIVE?
Any tooth restored by modern dentistry can be sensitive, especially to cold. This is because the broken down tooth structure was restored with a conducting metal (ie: silver or gold). This metal will conduct temperature changes close to the nerve. The pulp will pull away from this irritation in most cases but it does take months. Sometimes (about 5% or so) the sensitivity will get worse and the tooth will finally die or "abscess." If so, the tooth will have to be endodontically treated and have the nerve removed.
HOW LONG WILL MY INLAY LAST?
Such a restoration will never fail because of the materials. If you take care of your inlay properly, it should last you a lifetime. We guarantee those we do for one year.
DOES INSURANCE PAY FOR GOLD INLAYS?
In many instances, yes. There are, however, no guarantees that your insurance will pay for a gold inlay. Many insurance companies pay an alternate benefit of a silver filling for a gold inlay. This is because your policy may only provide for silver fillings and not deem it medically necessary to have a gold restoration when in their opinion silver will restore the tooth sufficiently. They do not make the decision as to the longevity of the restoration only the immediate repair
