Featured Dentist
Dr. Leonard Hoffenberg
Level 2, 74 Castlereagh Street, Sydney, NSW 2000

Cracked Tooth? Ask About Our Dental Inlays and Onlays!

Teeth can chip and crack for many reasons: grinding teeth at night, aggressive sports games, weakened enamel from food or medical conditions, or several other situations and conditions. Unfortunately, if your tooth is cracked, chipped, or damaged, it’s vulnerable to plaque and tooth decay. The good news is that Dr. Hoffenberg can help, and the sooner you get in for assessment and treatment the better!

If you’ve cracked or chipped your tooth, don’t worry – it’s normal. Our family friendly office would be happy to set you up with an appointment to see our licensed dentist, Dr. Hoffenberg, to talk about the damage to your tooth.

Dr. Hoffenberg will be able to help you determine whether a filling, an inlay or onlay, or a crown would be the best method of protecting your tooth.

Keep reading to learn more about what dental inlays and onlays are, how they’re applied, and whether they’d be a good fit for you.

Ask Dr. Hoffenberg call 02 8599 7121
Dr. Leonard Hoffenberg

What Are Dental Inlays and Onlays?

Dental inlays and onlays are porcelain pieces that are moulded to fit inside cracks and chips on your teeth. Inlays fit in the centre of your tooth and can fill holes left from old fillings or tooth decay; onlays, on the other hand, attach to the outside of your tooth to repair chips and cracks.

While they have different shapes and placements, they both serve the purpose of giving your tooth the strength and protection it needs.

How Do I Know If I Need an Inlay or Onlay?

Every person (and every set of teeth) is different, and only a licensed dentist can determine for sure whether an inlay or onlay is the appropriate treatment.

Some items a dentist may look for include: Is the root of the tooth still intact? Is the tooth still strong? Does it still have structure? Is the hole, chip, or crack small? Could it be filled with composite resin? Is the tooth loose? Is it likely to fall out?

Crowns vs. Onlays or Inlays?

Crowns are used in cases of more extreme decay or in situations where a tooth is severely cracked or broken. You can think of a crown as less of a repair and more of a replacement. When getting a crown, the decayed area is removed and a cap is placed over the entire tooth.

Inlays and onlays can be thought of as more of a repair. There are cases when the damage to a tooth is to the point that a large dental filling would weaken the tooth’s overall structure, but the tooth is still healthy enough to not need a dental crown. It is in cases like these where inlays and onlays might be the solution for you.

The Treatment Process

Getting an inlay or onlay is a multi-step process. When it’s finished, you’ll have a strong tooth that can bite into a crisp apple or pull apart a steak with ease.

Initial Evaluation

First, we will check to see if your tooth is a candidate for dental inlays or onlays. Teeth that need an inlay or onlay are generally strong enough to remain in your mouth, but too weak for a simple filling.

Impression

Next, Dr. Hoffenberg will numb the area around your tooth and remove any current fillings or dental work. They’ll take an impression of your tooth, and then send the impression to a lab. The lab, then, will create a customised inlay or onlay for you out of porcelain. In the meantime, you’ll have a temporary inlay or onlay to wear to protect your teeth.

Application

When the lab is finished with the inlay or onlay, they’ll ship it back to your dentist. You’ll come in for a final appointment, where your dentist will remove your temporary inlay or onlay and fit the new one to your teeth. Finally, your dentist will bond it to your tooth, so that it is firmly in place to do the hard work of chewing your food and protecting your gums. This appointment take about an hour.

Post-Treatment Care

Inlays and onlays are durable restorations that do not require any more care than the teeth normally do. Brushing twice a day and flossing daily are all the maintenance that these restorations need. You should also avoid chewing on hard things – such as ice – that can end up damaging the restoration.

Dr. Hoffenberg understands that visits to the dentist may be intimidating; his many years of experience allow him to bring a wealth of experience to each treatment.

Call now or use our convenient online scheduler to book in your FREE smile assessment appointment with Dr. Hoffenberg at his dental clinic in Sydney.

Additional Services

Dr. Hoffenberg offers restorative and cosmetic dental services at his dental clinic in Sydney. No matter what your dental concerns are, Dr. Hoffenberg and his team can provide the services you need.

How to Get to our Dental Clinic

TLC Dental is located in Sydney's CBD at 2/74 Castlereagh Street, conveniently located near Martin Place and the MLC Centre. There is public transport nearby with numerous bus stops and train stations within walking distance. Parking is also available at the MLC Centre, Westfield, or Stockland Piccadilly Shopping Centre. We are only a few minutes walk from places like Circle Quay Ferries, the State Library of New South Wales, Royal Botanic Garden and the Sydney Tower Eye.

Terms & Conditions
Zoom Teeth Whitening Offer
  1. Limit 1 per person and subject to availability
  2. Must be 18 years of age or older to use vouchers
  3. Includes a Free Smile Assessment which must be face to face.
  4. Whitening Smile Deals ™ price includes
    • Before and after written instructions
    • Before and after photos
    • 4 (four) applications for 15 minutes each of Philips Zoom ™ whitening gel as per the recommendations
    • Relief gel for after home care.
  5. Does not include a general dental check-up and clean but can be used with other Smile Deal vouchers such as $199 check-up and clean or the Smile Deal ™ Invisalign voucher for $6500
  6. 24 hour cancellation notice is required if you need to change your appointment time

Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risk. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner. This offer may change without notice.

Terms & Conditions
Free Smile Assessment Offer:
  1. Must be over 18 years of age
  2. Free Smile Assessment consultation must be face to face
  3. Includes : Smile analysis, Facial lines and asymmetries, Teeth size, shape and position analysis, Teeth color recording, Jaw analysis, General tooth and gum health assessment and advise on the suitability for Invisalign or other Smile Make-Over procedures and recommendations.
  4. Does not include a full examination, x-rays or a scale and polish.
  5. Free Smile Assessment offer can be used in conjunction with other offers such as Whitening, Check up and Polish, and Invisalign offers.

Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risk. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner. This offer may change without notice.