Inlays & Onlays…Dental Restorations That Protect Your Teeth!!
Inlays and Onlays are dental restorations that are primarily used to repair teeth that are badly damaged by decay or wear. If a tooth’s chewing surface has substantial decay or holds a large filling that is worn or cracked, we recommend an inlay or onlay to restore the tooth.
Unlike a small resing (white) filling that we place into the prepared tooth during one office visit, inlays and onlays are custom-made and require two dental visits.
The inlay or onlay are made of porcelain in the laboratory, with a computer-assisted design and manufacturing procedure before it is cemented into a prepared tooth.
What is an Inlay?
An inlay is a special type of filling that may be used to restore the chewing surfaces of a back tooth (molar, premolar or bicuspid).
It fits into the contours of the tooth, between the cusps (points) of the biting surface, restoring the space that remains after we remove the decay or old filling.
A porcelain inlay may be favored for durability and longevity over a resin filling.
What is an Onlay?
An onlay covers the biting surface and one or more cusps (the peaks of the tooth). It may be used to provide greater coverage for a tooth that has lost much of its biting surface when decay damages the surface between teeth.
We recommend an onlay based on the extent of damage to the tooth.
What does the treatment involve?
During the first visit: we prepared the tooth by removing the old filling or decay.
The remaining tooth is shaped to receive the restoration.
Then we make a digital impression of the tooth, the opposing teeth and your bite.
We place a temporary filling to protect the tooth until the next visit when it is removed.
During the second appointment: The permanent inlay or onlay is checked for fit before we cement it to the tooth.
Adjustments for comfort and a final polishing are done at this visit.