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Not every dental problem requires the same treatment!
Inlays and onlays, also known as indirect fillings, fill in or build up the natural tooth with tooth-colored resin or porcelain crafted in our laboratory to fit precisely within a patient’s tooth. Inlays fit within the space left by a cavity, while onlays build up the cusp, or edge, of a broken or chipped tooth.
An onlay will often be used in place of a crown when preserving tooth structure is necessary and is the most conservative way to fix a broken or decayed tooth. If you need damaged teeth repaired, inlays and/or onlays may be right for you.
Benefits of Inlays / Onlays
Inlays or onlays can be considered an intermediate dental treatment between cavities and crowns. The ideal candidate for an inlay or onlay is usually a patient with too much decay or damage in the tooth structure to be successfully treated with a filling, but with sufficiently healthy tooth remaining to avoid the need for a crown. Thus, the intermediate treatment of an inlay or onlay allows the dentist to conserve more of the patient’s original tooth structure.
There are other benefits to inlays and onlays:
- Inlays and onlays are durable — they’re made from tough, hard-wearing materials which last up to 30 years
- They help to strengthen teeth by up to 75 percent, unlike traditional fillings which can actually reduce the strength of the teeth
- Inlays and onlays prolong tooth life and prevent the need for more dental treatment in the future