Inlays and onlays are dental restorations that fall under the category of major restorative procedures. Onlays and inlays are different than dental fillings or dental caps and crowns. They are typically fabricated in a dental laboratory and are made of porcelain (tooth colored material), dental grade metal, or resin depending on the patient’s needs and aesthetic goals. An inlay refers to a restoration that is formed to fit the center of a tooth, whereas an onlay refers to a restoration that encompasses at least, one cusp of the tooth. Both inlays and onlays are bonded (glued) to the surface of damaged teeth and matched to the color of the surrounding teeth.

Inlays and onlays can serve as alternative treatments to dental crowns when you have a cracked or broken tooth. If a filling is not enough to adequately repair a tooth, or a cavity is too wide to accommodate the filling, an inlay or onlay can be custom created to fit securely onto the tooth’s surface. Depending on the materials used, the restoration can be fabricated to appear very natural and will have the same function of an organic tooth. It will copy the natural occlusal surface of the tooth and will look and feel like a natural tooth. Inlays and onlays have extremely high success rates. They are custom made for each patient and last much longer than traditional fillings.

It usually takes two visits to get an onlay or inlay. The first visit the tooth is cleaned from decay, the surface is shaped and an impression is taken. The cleaned cavity is then filled with temporary filling to protect the tooth while laboratory is fabricating the restoration. On the second visit the onlay or inlay is being cemented into place.