What are Inlays and Onlays

Dental Inlay and Onlay can strengthen and increase the integrity of your tooth structure and protect the tooth from getting decayed. A cracked, chipped or decayed tooth can create more damage if not treated properly. Later, the process would be costlier and invasive dental treatment options would be needed to consider.

What Is A Dental Inlay?

Inlays are also called as the ‘Indirect fillings’ as they are created at dental labs and then kept at the dental office. Dental inlays are used in order to repair and protect the teeth that are within the cusps of the chewing surface. It is required to be placed between the cusps and on the tooth’s chewing surface.

A dental inlay is opted for when the tooth is so damaged and the cavity is too large that it cannot support a normal filling.

What Is A Dental Onlay?

Dental onlay is more than an inlay but not as the crown. If the damage exceeds the cusps of the teeth then dental onlays is appropriate. Dental onlay can cause much more serious damage to the teeth if not treated carefully.

At My Dental Clinic, the experts would perform the dental onlay only if the damage is extensive. The damage would involve one or more of cusps of the tooth and not only chewing surface.

How Inlays And Onlays Are Placed?

The process would require two appointments as firstly the size and measurements of your tooth are required. In the first appointment, the decay would be removed from the tooth in order to take pictures. The impressions would also be taken which would later be sent to the dental lab for fabrication of the respective Inlay or Onlay.

A temporary restoration is being placed until the waiting period. After two weeks, you will return for the second appointment where the temporary filling is removed. The tooth is cleaned and then the fit and the color match is checked.

Finally, the Inlay/Onlay is cemented permanently in the right place so that your tooth remains healthy and strong for a long period of time.