Ceramic inlay / Ceramic onlay
Ceramic inlays/onlays are the most esthetic tooth replacements. Even a dentist will have difficulty telling the difference between your natural teeth and the replacement. The reason is that ceramic inlays allow the dentist to match the colour of the replacemet perfectly to that of your own teeth. The cementation of the inlays is carried out by using a special glue that guarantees perfect fit. Although they are highly attractive, ceramic inlays require an extremely careful job both from the dentist and the dental tecnician. Since the material is rigid, it is prone to fracture and may also wear down the teeth. To avoid fracture, it is safer to use the material in a thicker layer, which means a larger amount of natural tooth is removed.
A disadvantage of ceramic inlays compared to gold alloys is that they do not guarantee a perfect border seal in the long run. All ceramic inlays can only be used if the filling is not exposed to high masticular pressure- such as the area around the dental neck- otherwise the thin filling border cracks.
