Crowns and Inlays
Dental crowns and inlays are types of dental restorations used to repair and strengthen damaged teeth. Both help restore function and appearance, but they differ in how much of the tooth they cover and when they're used.
A crown is a tooth-shaped cap that covers the entire visible portion of a damaged tooth, above the gum line and are an option:
- After a root canal treatment
- When a tooth is badly decayed, cracked, or worn down
- To cover discoloured or misshapen teeth
- To protect a weakened tooth from breaking
- To support a dental bridge or top a dental implant
An inlay is a custom-made filling that fits into the grooves of a tooth, between the cusps (the raised points). It restores part of a tooth but doesn’t cover the entire surface like a crown and are an option:
- For moderate decay or damage that's too big for a regular filling, but doesn't require a crown
- To replace old or broken fillings
- When there's no damage to the tooth's cusps
