Onlays / Inlays
Dental inlays and onlays are restorations used to repair rear teeth with mild to moderate decay or cracked and fractured teeth that are not sufficiently damaged to need a crown.
Onlays and inlays are essential for restoring a tooth to its original look and feel. This particular procedure is ideal for patients who might have large cavities that a typical filling wouldn’t be able to handle or when there has been some type of trauma to the tooth. The procedure to have the inlay or onlay placed is done quickly and easily, and the appliance itself is created specifically for you in a local dental lab where it is matched perfectly with your smile.
What is an Onlay and Inlay?
An onlay and inlay is a type of dental prosthetic that acts and looks like a crown, but is much smaller. Both Onlays and Inlays are used to repair back teeth with mild to moderate decay that do not need to have a crown. The difference between getting an Inlay and Onlay depends on the amount of tooth structure that has been lost to wear or decay. We here at One Fine Smile will help you decide which is most appropriate for you.
- An inlay is placed more in the cusps of the tooth to cover areas of breakage, cracking or where large areas of decay are present. They can also be used to replace old or damaged metal fillings.
- Onlays are larger in size and cover more tooth surface, but they are still smaller than a crown. They are designed to fit on the chewing surface of a cavity and extends over the biting surface(s) of the tooth. An onlay might be used because onlay because the tooth structure is weak and they suspect it would crack if filled with a regular filling.
Who might be a good candidate for this procedure?
Inlays and onlays have many benefits and are placed regularly on patients who require them. Some of the best candidates for the procedure include:
- You have a large amount of decay in a tooth
- You have already had a filling placed that is not staying in the tooth anymore
- There has been some type of trauma to the tooth
- The tooth has a large break, crack or fracture in it that needs to be repaired
If you need to have an Inlay or Onlay placed, or if you would like to inquire further about this procedure, give our office a call and one of our helpful staff members will be happy to assist you.