We think that a perfect smile should go beyond your front teeth, all the way to the back of your mouth to allow you to smile broadly or laugh out loud without worrying about your unsightly metal fillings or crowns. If you agree, then let us show you how easy it is to replace your existing metal with porcelain inlays and onlays - natural-looking alternatives that are both strong and attractive.

An inlay is similar to a filling in that it lies inside the cusp tips of a tooth. (A cusp is the pointed or rounded projection on the chewing portion of a tooth.) An onlay is like a crown - a bigger filling that covers one or more cusps of a tooth.

Almost any silver or gold filling can be replaced with a beautiful porcelain inlay or onlay. It usually takes two dental visits to complete the change - the first visit to remove the old filling (or remove the decay or re-shape a broken tooth if this is your initial visit for the tooth), take an impression of the tooth and place a temporary sealant or restoration in place. The laboratory then creates your restoration based on the impression taken.

During your second visit we'll remove the temporary measure, check that the color of the inlay or onlay matches the adjacent teeth, check your bite and then bond or cement the new restoration into place.

Not only are porcelain replacements attractive, they can actually increase the strength of a tooth substantially over a metal filling. The reason for this is that inlays and onlays are bonded directly onto the tooth with special resins, which will allow the restoration to stay in place for many years.