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Inlays and Onlays

Inlay and Onlays

Dentists hate to disturb a healthy tooth—even a damaged tooth that still has plenty of life left in it. Preserving as much of an existing tooth as possible is always the goal. In order to do that, dentistry has come up with a number of ways to make up for the loss of tooth structure; the method used depends on the extent of a given problem.

For instance, there are times when a tooth can be damaged beyond the ability of a traditional filling to repair it, but not damaged to the point where the expense and effort of a crown or an extraction/implant procedure is called for. In cases like those, you may be advised to go with an inlay or an onlay.

Sometimes, inlays or onlays are requested by patients for cosmetic reasons. Unlike the material used in a standard filling, the material used to make inlays and onlays can be colored (like crowns, veneers, and dentures) for an amazing color-match that makes the repair very difficult to notice.

Made of either a dental grade porcelain/ceramic or composite resin both inlays and onlays are performed on the rear teeth (premolars/molars); while they do essentially the same thing, they have different names due to the way they are placed:

Inlay:When the damage to a tooth is all within the “cusp” of the tooth (the cusp being the portion of a tooth that juts upward like the points of a crown), an inlay made to the specifications of the damaged area is fitted into the space and bonded with dental adhesive.

Onlay: When the damage is such that it reaches up and onto the cusp of the tooth, an inlay that matches the contours of the lower damaged is made, but with an overlapping portion that sits on the cusp, to cover the extended damage. The same type of dental adhesive is used to secure an onlay.

Yes, They’re fillings… but

The process of getting an inlay or onlay is a lot like getting a regular filling, but different enough to give them an additional name: “indirect fillings.” With a regular, or direct, filling, the area being worked on is numbed and then the tooth is drilled in order to make a proper space for the dentist to fill with material, molding it directly into the space. The same preparation happens with indirect fillings, like inlays or onlays, except that those are made by a dental lab, according to very specific measurements provided by the dentist; they also tend to have some very specific contouring to help the chewing surfaces of teeth. Another bid difference is that inlays and onlays require more than one visit. After the prep work and measurements are done, you’ll be sent home with a temporary inlay or onlay, molded by our dentist, which you’ll wear until the dental lab has manufactured your custom inlay or onlay.

Whether or not you’re a candidate for an inlay or onlay is a decision that can only be made after careful consideration by your dentist. If you’re considering an inlay or onlay in Annapolis, please give Aria Dental a chance to assess your situation and provide a solution you’ll be happy with.