That “chew on the other side” move is practically a rite of passage after dental work, isn’t it? I remember after my first onlay, my jaw was basically living a double life—left side for everything edible, right side for air and water only. It’s wild how our brains treat that new restoration like it’s made of porcelain eggshells. I kept thinking any crunchy food was going to be the end of it.
Honestly, the transition back to using both sides took me way longer than I expected. The sensitivity was real, and I kept second-guessing every little twinge. Eventually, though, I stopped noticing... until I bit down on a rogue almond and realized, hey, nothing broke.
Curious if you noticed any difference in how your bite felt compared to a regular crown? For me, the onlay felt more “natural,” but maybe that’s just in my head. Also—did your dentist mention anything about longevity or maintenance being different with an onlay? I’ve heard mixed things about how they hold up over time.
I get what you mean about treating that side like it’s made of glass. It’s like your brain needs a training period to trust the new hardware. But honestly, I had almost the opposite experience with my onlay compared to a crown. For me, the onlay actually felt less “natural” at first—maybe because it was smaller and my tongue kept finding the edge for weeks. With my crown, I sort of forgot about it after a few days, but the onlay took way longer to blend in.
As for longevity, my dentist was pretty upfront about the pros and cons. He said onlays are great for preserving tooth structure, but they can be more vulnerable if you grind your teeth or have a heavy bite (which apparently I do). With crowns, there’s more coverage so less risk of chipping off the remaining tooth underneath, but you lose more of your real tooth in the process. Honestly, I’m still kind of paranoid about biting into anything hard on that side.
Maintenance-wise, I haven’t noticed much difference—just extra flossing and being careful with sticky stuff. But I will say, my onlay did need a little adjustment after a couple months because my bite felt “off.” Never had that with my crown.
It’s funny how everyone’s mouth is different. Some people swear by onlays for comfort, but for me it was more of an adjustment than expected. Maybe it depends on where in your mouth it is? Or maybe I’m just overly cautious after too many dental adventures...
That’s interesting, because my onlay actually blended in pretty quickly—way faster than I expected. I was super anxious about it feeling weird, but after a week or so, I barely noticed it. Maybe it’s just luck or the spot it’s in? I totally get the paranoia about biting though… I still hesitate with anything crunchy.
I totally get the paranoia about biting though… I still hesitate with anything crunchy.
Same here—honestly, even months later, I still do the “test bite” on the opposite side first. My onlay felt odd for a while, but I think my brain just needed time to adjust. Maybe it’s a mind-over-matter thing? I keep telling myself it’s stronger than it feels, but then I see a bag of kettle chips and nope, not today.
I still catch myself chewing super carefully on that side, even though the dentist swore the onlay would hold up just fine. There’s just something about that first crunch—my nerves kick in every time. I remember after my root canal, even soft bread felt risky for a while. It’s weird how your mouth almost “remembers” the trauma and keeps you cautious.
I do wonder if some of it is just in my head. My dentist said onlays can be as strong as crowns, but I’m not convinced they’re quite as bulletproof. Maybe it’s an age thing… gums and teeth just don’t bounce back like they used to. Still, I’d rather have an onlay than a full crown if I can help it. Less drilling, less fuss.
Funny thing—I’ve started cutting apples into tiny pieces now. Never did that before. Guess we all adapt in our own ways.
