Indirect Restorations – What Are They?

The reconstruction of decayed or fractured teeth is one of the most common procedures in a dental office. This treatment involves removing all decayed tissue and then filling the cavity with a suitable material, mimicking a natural tooth. These types of treatments are performed in a single appointment and are therefore called direct restorations.

However, in cases of extensive damage, there are techniques that make these treatments more effective, such as creating the restoration outside the oral cavity. These restorations are called indirect restorations, require two appointments, and can be performed by the dentist or a dental prosthetics laboratory.

Depending on the degree of destruction, these restorations can be classified as inlay, onlay, or overlay and can be made from composite resin or ceramic material.

Indirect restorations are the treatment of choice for endodontically treated teeth and/or teeth with amalgam fillings, as they often experience significant loss of dental structure, reducing their strength and making them more fragile.

Creating the restoration outside the oral cavity offers several advantages, including reduced microleakage between the restoration and the remaining tooth structure, less wear of the restorative material over time, and better adaptation of the restoration to prevent food impaction between teeth.

All these characteristics help protect the tooth, preventing future fractures and secondary cavities.

Written by Marisa Zenha