What are Inlays and Onlays?

An inlay refers to a filling that usually consists of gold, porcelain, or resin that is used to treat a cavity. An inlay is larger than a filling while being smaller than a crown. The difference between an inlay and a filling is that an inlay is a filling made in a similar fashion to the crown, with similar materials used to fabricate a crown. Hence, they are long lasting.

This procedure includes an impression of the tooth and creation of the restoration piece outside of the mouth. This procedure is effective for those who have extensive decays or fractures within the teeth that cannot be fixed by a simple filling.

It is important to receive this procedure if you are instructed by a dentist to do so, as ignoring this issue will potentially lead to more severe tooth damage that may require emergency dentistry.

There is also the option of using porcelain for the inlay procedure, utilizing a digital technology known as CADCAM. Utilizing this technology is useful as it creates a perfectly fitted inlay in either one or two visits for the patient. If the porcelain is made within a laboratory setting, two visits will be necessary for the patient.

An onlay is the same as an inlay, except that an onlay is specifically targeted towards replacing a tooth cusp, lost due to decay or fracture.