Dental Inlays and Onlays

If more than half of your tooth is missing or the decay is large enough to undermine tooth integrity, a composite filling is no longer your best treatment option. However, you also don’t need the full coverage of a dental crown. Instead, you can restore your tooth with inlays or onlays.

Inlay/Onlay Restorations

Inlays and onlays are dental restorations that offer a well-fitting, strong, and long-lasting solution to tooth decay. While dental fillings are molded into place within the mouth during a single dental visit, inlays and onlays are fabricated in a dental lab before being fitted and bonded to the damaged tooth. A dental inlay is similar to a filling and fits inside the cusp tips (or top edges) of the tooth. A dental onlay is more extensive and extends over the cusps of the treated tooth.

Reasons for Inlays/Onlays

Some reasons for needing to restore a tooth with an inlay or onlay include:

- Large or failing restorations

- Lost fillings

- Fractured cusps

Benefits of Inlays/Onlays

There are countless advantages of restoring your smile with inlays or onlays. Some of their most noteworthy benefits include:

- Durability

- Strength and stability

- Aesthetic coloring

- Superior fit

- Seals out bacteria