Big Dental Group located in Huntington Beach. (714) 968-3522

Inlays & Onlays

Inlays

Sometimes, a tooth is treatment planned to be restored with an intracoronal restoration, but the decay or fracture is so extensive that a direct restoration, such as amalgam or composite, would compromise the structural integrity of the restored tooth by possibly undermining the remaining tooth structure or providing substandard opposition to occlusal (i.e. biting) forces. In such situations, an indirect restoration may be indicated, such as the porcelain or gold inlay .

Inlays are used to cover large areas of a tooth. They are larger than a filling but smaller than a crown. Constructed from composite resins or porcelain, inlays are made at dental laboratories. In just two appointments, the preparatory work will be completed, the new inlay applied and the patient will have a great new smile.

Onlays

Additionally, when decay or fracture incorporate areas of a tooth that make amalgam or composite restorations essentially inadequate, such as cuspal fracture or remaining tooth structure that undermines perimeter walls of a tooth, onlay might be indicated. Similar to an inlay, a onlay is an indirect restoration which incorporates a cusp or cusps by covering or onlaying the missing cusps. All of the benefits of a inlay are present in the onlay restoration. The onlay allows for conservation of tooth structure when the alternative is to totally eliminate cusps and perimeter walls for restoration with a crown.