Benefits of Dental Inlays and Onlays

Even with good oral care habits at home, it’s possible for tooth decay to form, requiring a dental visit to prevent health consequences like gum disease, tooth loss, and infection. Traditionally, dental fillings were the go-to repair method.

At Healthy Smile Dental in Woodridge, Illinois, Dr. Hannah Baek may recommend a different form of restorative repair. Inlays and onlays provide a method of repairing areas of decay with materials that more closely match the appearance of your natural tooth enamel with a bonding process that can improve the strength of the compromised tooth.

What is an inlay?

Repairing a cavity starts with excavation of the decay around the compromised tooth enamel. For small cavities, a filling made of a composite resin gets pressed into this prepared space.

But sometimes a cavity may be too large for a conventional filling. In these situations, Dr. Baek recommends inlays as a more suitable option. Inlays are also a choice when you have a cracked tooth that doesn’t affect the cusp, the longest point of the tooth.

A solid piece of material made from either a composite resin or porcelain, an inlay is manufactured in a lab from a custom impression Dr. Baek makes. The inlay matches the shape of the prepared area inside of your tooth and is designed to match the appearance of the host tooth.

What you can expect

The inlay blends completely once in place. You likely won’t spot the boundaries between the inlay and your tooth.

The inlay process mimics that of a regular filling, though you’ll have two appointments rather than one. The first visit cleans the tooth, removes all signs of decay, and shapes the tooth to receive the inlay. At this point, an impression is made and a temporary filling is placed.

Once the inlay is manufactured, you return for the second appointment. After removing the temporary filling, Dr. Baek permanently bonds the inlay into your tooth. Inlays typically last for years longer than conventional fillings.

What is an onlay?

Onlays use the same techniques and technology as inlays. The only difference is that an onlay replaces one or more cusps on a tooth, while an inlay is recessed from the primary biting surfaces. Usually, onlays cover more area than inlays, and they can wrap around the outside surfaces of the tooth, while inlays fill areas between the cusps.

You can think of inlays and onlays as a tooth restoration that fits between fillings and crowns, which cover the entire surface of a repaired tooth.