Dental Glossary

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When more than 50% of the chewing surface of a back tooth has been damaged by decay and the drilling and filling process, it is preferable to use an inlay or an onlay to resore and strengthen the tooth rather than an ordinary filling or a more elaborate crown .

Inlays and onlays can be fabricated from porcelain, gold or hard composite resins, all of which may require the services of a dental technician or laboratory.

An inlay is similar to a filling but requires very precise design of the cavity within the confines of the cusp tips of the tooth; an onlay is a more extensive restoration covering one or more of these cusps to prevent their fracture.

Both inlays and onlays are traditionally made of gold or as in some countries, in a non-precious metal. However, in recent years porcelain has become the material of choice because of its comparable strength and superior potential to match the natural colour of teeth.

Inlays and onlays generally require two visits. At the first visit, the old filling, or decay, is removed, and the tooth is prepared for the inlay or onlay. The dentist will then make an impression of the tooth, and send this impression to a dental laboratory. This impression will be used by the laboratory to construct, a porcelain, or gold inlay / onlay that will fit exactly into your tooth. At this time the dentist will place a temporary sealant on your tooth and schedule a second appointment.

At the second visit, the temporary sealant is removed. Your dentist will then ensure that the inlay / onlay fits properly in the tooth and does not interfere with your bite. Once correctly fitted, the inlay or onlay is bonded into the tooth with a strong bonding resin, and polished.

Recent technologies have given dentists the ability to use CAD-CAM systems to fabricate inlays and onlays from ceramics in a single visit. This revolutionary technique allows patients the comfort of only needing to be numbed once for these procedures.


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