Inlays and Onlays

Inlays and Onlays are types of dental fillings also sometimes called indirect restorations. Inlays and onlays have been in use much longer than modern types of filling and in many cases can be used more effectively to treat severe tooth decay than their modern counterparts.

Onlay - An onlay is usually recommended when the outside of your tooth has decayed or been damaged to such an extent that a complete or partial filling will be required to restore the shape of the tooth. Onlays fit around the outside of the tooth.

Inlay - This type of filling is used when the material which will make up the filling will need to be put mostly inside of your tooth. Inlays are commonly used to fill holes which have occured due to injury or decay and help to strengthen the tooth structure.

Uses

Traditionally, onlays and inlays were composed of gold due to its sterile nature and the fact it can be easily worked by your dentist. Gold was also sturdy enough to survive the wear and tear of chewing. Due to rapid innovations in dental technoloy, this type of filling is now usually made up from a composite resin or porcelain, however gold is still often used. Due to the cost of the materials involved, onlays and inlays are usually quite a bit more expensive than traditional fillings. Despite the high cost, inlays and onlays have several benefits over their conventional counterparts. They often have a longer life than traditional fillings and due to their custom design there's less chances of cracks and decay occuring.