Dr. Xiao owns the practice and does the exams and the repairs herself. She explains each step before she starts and leaves the decision with you.
Restorative dentistry · Huntington, WV
A filling, an inlay or a crown. Which one fits your tooth?
Dr. Lin Xiao looks at how much of the tooth is sound, explains each choice and gives you the estimate in writing before any work starts.
The three repairs
Filling, inlay or crown: when each is used
The same tooth can often be repaired more than one way. This is how Dr. Xiao thinks it through with you. Your tooth, not a price list, decides.
| Compared by | Filling | Inlay or onlay | Crown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Used when | FillingThe decay or damage is small to medium and the tooth around it is sound | Inlay or onlayThe damage is too wide for a filling, but the outer walls of the tooth are sound | CrownA wall or a chewing point is cracked or missing, or too little tooth is left to hold a smaller repair |
| What it covers | FillingThe hole and nothing more | Inlay or onlayThe hole and, for an onlay, one or more chewing points | CrownThe whole tooth above the gum, like a cap |
| How it is made | FillingBuilt up and shaped in the tooth, then hardened with a blue light | Inlay or onlayMade outside the mouth from a scan or an impression, then bonded to the tooth | CrownMade outside the mouth from a scan or an impression, then cemented onto the tooth |
| Visits | FillingUsually one | Inlay or onlayUsually two | CrownUsually two |
| What is removed | FillingThe decayed part | Inlay or onlayThe decayed part and a little more, so the piece seats cleanly | CrownThe decayed part and a layer all round the tooth, so the crown has room |
| Worth asking about | FillingHow much the cavity has grown since the last X-ray | Inlay or onlayWhether the walls of the tooth can carry a bite without being covered | CrownWhat the tooth has to do: a back molar works harder than a front tooth |
At the exam
Start from how much tooth is left
A repair is a decision about the tooth, not about the product.
Dr. Xiao checks the tooth, takes an X-ray only if she needs one and shows you what she sees. Then she lays out the options that fit that tooth: what each involves, how many visits and what happens if you wait. She tells you which one she would choose and why, and leaves the decision with you.
In the conversation
What she sees on the tooth and in the X-ray
The options that fit, and the ones that don't
What each costs, written down before we start
Services
Four kinds of repair we do here
All of them are provided by a general dentist, and each has the estimate in writing before we start.
Fillings
Repairing a cavity or a worn spot with tooth-colored material, usually in one visit.
About fillingsInlays and onlays
A piece made outside the mouth for a cavity too wide for a filling.
About inlays and onlaysReplacing old work
Deciding whether an old filling or crown needs to be redone.
About replacing old work
A first visit
What happens, in order
Nothing is started until you have heard the options and the estimate and said yes.
- 01
Step 1: We talk
Dr. Xiao asks what you have noticed and what you would like to know. Your health history goes on our private patient portal, not in an email.
- 02
Step 2: She looks
An exam of the tooth and the teeth around it, with X-rays only if she needs them.
- 03
Step 3: You hear the options
Each one that fits, in plain words: what it involves, how many visits and what happens if you wait.
- 04
Step 4: You take the estimate home
A written estimate before any treatment, so you can read it away from the chair.
The dentist
One dentist, from the exam to the final fit
You see the same person at every visit.
Before you call
Do you take my insurance?
We work with some PPO dental plans and are out of network with others. Call with the name of your plan and we will tell you which, and we check your benefits before the visit. How fees work explains the rest.
Which repair do I need?
It depends on the tooth, not on a rule. Dr. Xiao looks at how much sound tooth is left and what the tooth has to do, then explains the options that fit.
Will it hurt?
We numb the area before any drilling, and you can ask for a break at any time by raising your hand. Some people feel pressure or soreness afterward. Dr. Xiao tells you what to expect before she starts.
Can I get an estimate before treatment?
Yes. You can ask for a written estimate before any treatment. If you are paying without insurance, we give you a good faith estimate in writing when you schedule or whenever you ask.
What if I have a broken tooth or a lost filling?
Call us right away and we will tell you what to do until you are seen. If you have swelling that is spreading, or trouble breathing or swallowing, go to an emergency room or call 911.
Ask for a visit, and get the estimate in writing
Send a request and Cora will call, text or email you back with a time. Please leave out health details; for anything urgent, call us.