Inlays and Onlays

Unlike large, ugly metal fillings of years past, our doctors provide a more attractive restoration that actually strengthens the tooth. Inlays and onlays provide healthy, beautiful restorations for your teeth.

In recent years, dentists have learned that the metal filings in your mouth act much like metal does outside the mouth. Exposed to heat and cold, such as hot coffee or ice cream, the metal fillings in your teeth expand and contract. As they shift, they can actually weaken the teeth they were meant to protect. Often, the expansion and contraction leads to cracking of the entire tooth.

As the filling expands and contracts, it can also leave a small opening where harmful bacteria can enter and become trapped, leading to further decay of the tooth. Rarely do we remove silver fillings without finding additional decay underneath.

An inlay or onlay is a much more conservative restoration for the tooth than a metal filling. While traditional fillings can reduce tooth strength by up to 50%, inlays and onlays made of high strength porcelain can actually increase tooth strength by up to 75%, lasting from 10 to 30 years.

Inlays

Inlays, similar to fillings, are used inside the cusp tips of a tooth. Inlays are created out of fired porcelain, allowing us to perfectly match the color of your natural tooth, making the restoration invisible to the naked eye.

Onlays

Onlays are made of fired porcelain, just like inlays. However, onlays are a more substantial reconstruction, extending out over one or more of the cusps of the tooth. Where a crown may have been necessary, an onlay can often be used to repair the damaged portion of the tooth, leaving much more of the original tooth structure intact.