INLAYS & ONLAYS

There are times when a tooth suffers damage that is too extensive to be treated with a simple filling — but not extensive enough to need a full-coverage crown. In these cases, the best option for restoring the tooth may be an inlay or an onlay.

Both inlays and onlays are considered “indirect” fillings, meaning that they are fabricated outside the mouth (generally at a dental laboratory), and then bonded to the tooth by the dentist. This is in contrast to a “direct” filling, which is applied directly to the cavity by the dentist in one office visit.

Getting an inlay or onlay is very much like what you would experience having a crown placed, with one important distinction: less of your natural tooth structure will need to be removed by drilling when you receive an inlay or onlay. When you get a crown, the tooth needs to undergo significant reshaping so that it will fit inside its new covering. Since dentistry's goal is to preserve as much of your natural tooth structure as possible, inlays and onlays may be recommended instead of crowns when a tooth can be restored with this more conservative type of treatment.

Please contact us today to see if an inlay or onlay is the best option to treat a damaged tooth.