At Smile Design Dentistry in Plymouth, MN, we specialize in restoring the beauty and function of your smile with precision-crafted dental inlays and onlays. Our expert team is dedicated to providing cosmetic solutions that look natural and preserve more of your tooth structure, ensuring a healthier, stronger smile. Discover how our tailored restorative treatments can transform your dental health and confidence.

What are Dental Inlays and Onlays?

Inlays and onlays are specialized restorative dental treatments used to repair rear teeth with mild to moderate decay, cracks, or fractures that are not sufficiently damaged to require a crown. Here’s a brief overview:

Dental Inlays are used to fill the space between the cusps, or rounded edges, at the center of the tooth’s surface. They are an ideal alternative to fillings because they are individually crafted in a dental lab and then precisely fitted and bonded to the damaged area of the tooth.

Dental Onlays: Onlays cover one or more cusps or the entire biting surface of the tooth. They are sometimes called “partial crowns” because they are used when the damage is more extensive and requires more than an inlay but not enough to warrant a full crown.

Both inlays and onlays are made from durable, tooth-colored materials such as porcelain or composite resin, which blend seamlessly with your natural teeth for functional and aesthetic restoration. These treatments restore teeth and strengthen them, increasing their life span and minimizing the need for more extensive dental procedures in the future.

How are Dental Inlays and Onlays Different from Fillings?

Traditional fillings are molded into the cavity and then hardened. Inlays and onlays are produced in a lab based on impressions. This allows us to deliver an exact fit, blending the restoration with the original structure. Inlays and onlays often last longer and have better resistance toward cavities.

The Procedure for Getting Dental Inlays and Onlays

At Smile Design, the process requires two visits. During the first visit, we will remove the damaged piece of the tooth and take an impression for custom molds. A temporary filling may be placed to protect the tooth while the permanent solution is being made. We remove the temporary filling at the second appointment and bond the new onlay or inlay to the tooth. 

Advantages of Dental Inlays and Onlays

Dental inlays and onlays offer several advantages over traditional fillings and crowns, making them a preferred choice for restoring teeth that have suffered from decay or damage. Our team loves the conservative approach of this treatment as it requires little to no alteration to the tooth.

Preservation of Tooth Structure

Inlays and Onlays do not comprise the natural tooth structure. Several other procedures, like crowns, require the removal of the enamel. Inlays and onlays sometimes require no alteration, maintaining strength and structure.

Aesthetic Appeal

Since inlays and onlays can be made from materials that mimic the color and appearance of natural teeth, such as porcelain and composite resin, they provide a more discreet and aesthetic treatment option. They blend seamlessly with the tooth, enhancing the overall appearance of your smile.

Longevity and Durability

Made from solid and durable materials like porcelain, composite resin, or sometimes gold, inlays and onlays can withstand chewing forces well, making them durable and long-lasting. They can significantly strengthen a weakened tooth. Inlays and onlays can increase the strength of a tooth by up to 75%, in contrast to traditional metal fillings, which can reduce tooth strength. With proper care, inlays and onlays are extremely stable and long-lasting restorative solutions, often lasting up to 30 years.

Superior Fit

Inlays and onlays are custom-made to fit precisely within or over the tooth. This exact fit helps to optimize the restoration of the tooth’s original structure and function while preventing further decay or deterioration at the margins.

Improved Oral Hygiene

The precise fit and custom fabrication of inlays and onlays make them easier to clean and less likely to harbor bacteria, thus reducing the chance of further decay.

Candidates for Dental Inlays and Onlays

Candidacy for dental inlays and onlays involves several factors that determine whether these treatments are the most appropriate choice for restoring a tooth. Here’s what generally makes someone a good candidate:

Extent of Decay or Damage

Inlays and onlays are ideal for teeth with too much damage or decay for a filling to repair effectively but not enough to require a full crown. This usually includes cases where the damage does not affect the tooth’s cusp for inlays or one or more cusps but does not encompass the entire tooth structure for onlays.

Intact Tooth Structure

There should be enough healthy teeth to support the inlay or onlay. These restorations rely on a substantial amount of the natural tooth structure for bonding, so extensive structural loss might require a crown instead.

Location and Function of the Tooth

Teeth that undergo moderate pressure from chewing, particularly the premolars and molars, are excellent candidates for inlays and onlays. These restorations can withstand chewing forces and provide additional strength.

Desire for a Long-lasting Solution

Patients looking for a durable restoration that blends aesthetically with the rest of their teeth may prefer inlays and onlays over amalgam fillings or other restorations.