A dental inlay or onlay is a restoration that rebuilds a tooth that has lost a significant amount of its structure – due to decay or trauma. Inlays or onlays typically work for decay or damage that is too big for a filling but is still healthy enough not to require a crown. Instead of placing filling materials into your tooth, inlays and onlays are fabricated tooth parts that are cemented onto the damaged area.
An onlay is similar to a crown in that it sits on the top of the remaining tooth structure. It is used for more extensive damage tooth.
Inlays or onlays can be made of gold, composite resin (plastic) or ceramics. They can last for a long time if good oral hygiene is practiced.
How inlays and onlays are applied
At TC Dental Group, our dentists will assess your damaged tooth to determine the most suitable materials for your inlay or onlay. Usually, our dentists require you to attend at least two appointments to have an inlay and onlay fixed onto your tooth.
At your first appointment, the damaged part of the tooth is removed and the remaining tooth is shaped so the inlay or onlay will be able to stick more effectively. Then a mould of it is taken and sent to our dental laboratory. The laboratory then creates a restoration of the missing piece of tooth which is your new inlay or onlay.
During your follow-up appointment, our dentist will position the inlay or onlay onto the necessary tooth. Once it is in position, it is permanently bonded onto the tooth. Your tooth will be polished and the results will look so natural – that no one will be able to tell the difference!
At TC Dental Group – Upper Mt. Gravatt Branch, we have an onsite dental laboratory where your implants and porcelain crowns are custom-made to match all your natural surrounding teeth. They are made to Australian standards ensuring the highest standards of quality control. All our porcelain crowns are handmade by our experienced and highly-skilled dental technicians at our Upper Mt. Gravatt Branch laboratory.
For more information about the benefits of inlays/onlays, click here to read more in our blog.
