Inlays and Onlays

Whether your tooth has been broken due to an injury or has suffered significant decay, it might require more restoration than a normal dental filling can offer while not being compromised quite enough to require treatment with a dental crown. In these cases, treatment with an inlay or onlay might be most appropriate.

What Are Inlays and Onlays?

Inlays and onlays are similar to dental fillings in that they are most often used to treat dental cavities. They differ, however, in that they cover, seal, reshape, and restore a much larger portion of a person’s tooth than a normal dental filling does.

Dental Inlays

Dental inlays are restorations that restore the interior surface of a person’s tooth, up to the cusps along the outer edges.

Dental Onlays

Dental onlays are restorations that restore most or the entire surface of a person’s tooth, including the cusps at the outer edges.

When You Might Need an Inlay or Onlay

Treatment with an inlay or onlay might be recommended for you if you have tooth decay that is too far progressed to be treated with a regular dental filling but not so severe that it necessitates treatment with root canal therapy. An inlay or onlay might also be needed to repair a tooth that has been broken as a result of an injury or another reason.

Composite Resin and Porcelain Restorations With Inlays and Onlays

Inlays and onlays are available in two different materials. They are often made of tooth-colored composite resin, which is the same material used for regular dental fillings and dental bonding. Resin looks and feels natural and is also quite long-lasting.

Inlays and onlays can also be manufactured from 100% porcelain in a shade selected to blend seamlessly with the patient’s natural tooth. Porcelain is more durable than composite resin and, with its naturally translucent appearance, porcelain also most closely resembles a natural tooth’s similarly translucent enamel.

Comprehensive Restorative Dentistry in Bucyrus

If you have a tooth with significant decay or damage and think that treatment with an inlay or onlay might be right for you, we encourage you to contact Oakwood Dental today. During a consultation with one of our dentists, we can examine your teeth, talk with you about your treatment goals, and recommend a personalized treatment plan designed to help you create the smile of your dreams.