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What Is Inlay and Onlay?

Inlay and onlay are special types of dental fillings, also known as indirect restorations. Such fillings were used long before modern fillings were developed. And in some cases, they're still the preferable repair method where the decay of a tooth is particularly severe.

  1. What is Onlay?

    • Onlay is used when the exterior of a tooth has been damaged or decayed to such a degree that a complete or partial filling is necessary to restore the tooth's shape. This type of crown is shaped from an impression of the tooth, then glued into place. Onlays fit outside and around the tooth. A common misconception is that onlays are used on more seriously damaged teeth than inlays. But a dentist decides which technique to use based on where the tooth is decaying or damaged. Exterior problems results in an onlay, while interior repairs call for an inlay.

    What is Inlay?

    • Dentists use inlays when the material of the filling will be primarily on the inside of the tooth with only a small portion making up the tooth wall. Inlays fill a hollow that has developed as a result of injury or decay and strengthen the integrity of the tooth. Such hollows can create openings between the peaks of the tooth or in the side of the tooth. The placement of the opening on the tooth is inconsequential; a filling is considered an inlay if it fills an interior hollow or pocket.

    Onlay and Inlay Uses

    • Onlays and inlays are used primarily in situations where a tooth is so damaged or fragile that filling it or surrounding it with a quick-drying substance is deemed too risky. Use of such quick-drying substances is called direct restoration, and the process places excess pressure on the existing tooth when such fillings are fitted. With onlay and inlay, an impression of the tooth is taken and used to create a filling of a harder substance that is then fitted in or around the tooth.

    Materials

    • Onlays and inlays traditionally were made of gold, a sterile material that is soft enough to be easily worked by the dentist, yet hard enough to withstand the rigors of chewing. Today, they can be made from porcelain or a composite resin, but gold is still preferred. As a result, the average onlay or inlay costs about $900 per tooth, sometimes more depending on the amount of gold needed. This price is significantly higher than traditional direct restoration fillings, which cost about $250 dollars.

    Benefits

    • Although inlays and onlays are more expensive to produce, because of the time it takes to make an impression of the tooth and then shape the filling, they often are sturdier and longer-lasting than direct restoration fillings. Because onlays and inlays are so accurately shaped, there is often no line or crack between the tooth and the filling, reducing the possibility of decay along the seam.

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