We explain to our patients that there are three levels to restoring the back teeth in our mouth. The most basic and the least aggressive restoration is the traditional filling material, which options include silver amalgam or composite resin. The top of the tier of restorative materials, which is claimed to be the strongest, but most aggressive in tooth preparation, is the crown. The materials of choice for a crown are gold and ceramic/ porcelain. However, there is an “in-between” option to restore back teeth when the tooth is overfilled to begin with, but a non-aggressive approach is desired….Dental Inlays and Onlays. With this option you get the strength of the material of a crown, but without having to aggressively prepare the tooth like a crown. We tell our patients that they can always go from an inlay or onlay to a crown later in life if decay were to happen, However, once the patient goes to a crown, they must repeat crowns if something were to fail in the future.

Dental inlays and onlays are restorations used to repair rear teeth that have a mild to moderate amount of decay. They can also be used to restore teeth that are cracked or fractured if the damage is not severe enough to require a dental crown. In our office, inlays and onlays are usually made from porcelain or high-noble gold. Because they can be created from tooth-colored materials, inlays and onlays are often used to replace metal fillings for patients who desire a more natural looking smile.

In treating dental decay, inlays and onlays help to eliminate tooth sensitivity and eventual tooth loss. Inlays and onlays also offer the following benefits:

• Since they can be made from tooth-colored material, including porcelain and composite resin, inlays and onlays are virtually invisible.
• Unlike metal fillings, inlays and onlays will not expand or contract in response to temperature changes caused by hot or cold foods. This change in size can cause teeth to weaken or fracture.
• The use of inlays and onlays requires little tooth reduction, compared to crowns. This allows dentists to conserve more of a patient’s natural tooth structure in the treatment process.
• Because of the way inlays and onlays are made, they help to strengthen teeth.
• The durable material from which inlays and onlays are made helps them last up to 30 years, much longer than that of conventional fillings.
• Inlays and onlays can replace silver fillings to create a healthier, more natural-looking smile.
• By saving decayed teeth, inlays and onlays prevent the need for more extensive treatment later on.

Dental Inlays

Dental inlays are used to treat teeth that have decay or damage lying within their indented top surfaces. They can also be used to replace old or damaged fillings. Inlay placement is usually carried out over two appointments. During your first visit, an impression of your tooth will be taken, and a temporary inlay will be placed over the tooth. Our office will send the impression off to a dental lab, which will create the inlay to match your tooth's specifications. When you return to our office, the temporary inlay will be removed and the permanent one will be placed carefully over your tooth. There is no downtime after receiving a dental inlay, only a mild level of tenderness in the treated area, so you can return to work or other activities as soon as you leave the office.

Since dental inlays and onlays can be made from durable, tooth-colored porcelain, they offer much more enduring and natural-looking results than metal fillings. In addition, their customized nature allows us to securely bond them to the tooth surface, adding structural integrity and preventing bacteria from entering and forming cavities.

Dental Onlays

Whereas dental inlays are designed to treat decay within the cusps, or top projections, of a tooth, onlays are used to treat decay that extends to one or more of the cusps. Onlays are placed in much the same way as inlays. First, an impression of the decayed tooth is taken, and a temporary onlay is placed over the tooth. The impression is then sent to a lab, where a dental technician creates the onlay according to the tooth’s dimensions. When the patient returns to our office, the temporary onlay is removed, and the permanent restoration is placed on the tooth and securely bonded using high-strength dental resins.

Like dental inlays, onlays can be created from tooth-colored material, which makes them virtually undetectable to the naked eye. Onlays also help to conserve more tooth structure because their use requires minimal removal a tooth’s surface. Perhaps their most important benefit, however, is that, in saving damaged teeth, onlays help patients avoid the eventual need for more extensive treatment with crowns, bridges or implants.