How to Temporize an All-Ceramic Onlay

"Onlay" is a dental term that refers to a material that is placed over a damaged tooth. It is an alternative to a crown. Unlike noticeable silver or gold crowns, ceramic onlays closely resemble the color of the tooth, and make the tooth appear as if it has had no damage or dental work. Since many people prefer ceramic onlays, it's important for all dentists to be familiar with how to temporize them.

Things You'll Need

• Impression material
• Quadrant tray
• Bis-acrylic material
• Noneugenol temporary cement
• Wedges

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Instructions

Indirect Temporization Technique

• 1

  Fill the quadrant tray with impression material. Press the tray onto the tooth or teeth to be treated to make an impression.

• 2

  Prepare the onlay. Reduce at least 0.06 inches in the proximal boxes and 0.08 in the cuspal region. Create a 6- to 8-degree taper on the proximal and occlusal walls.

• 3

  Apply bis-acrylic material to the impression. Place it on the prepared tooth or teeth for 1 to 2 minutes. This creates a temporary onlay.

• 4

  Remove the temporary onlay from the impression and put it on the patient's teeth. Check the patient's bite and alter the temporary as necessary.

• 5

  Cement the temporary onlay in place

Direct Temporization Technique

• 6

  Follow Steps 1 and 2 of Section 1 to create the impression.

• 7

  Place wedges interproximally around the tooth or teeth being treated.

• 8

  Place the temporary material into the impression and ask the patient to bite down gently on it for 1 to 2 minutes.

• 9

  Remove the impression gently, leaving the temporary on the tooth.

• 10

  Check and adjust the patient's bite if necessary. Light cure the temporary for 20 to 30 seconds.