Inlays / Onlays

Restoring, protecting and enhancing your smile with a natural looking filling are why inlays and onlays have become such a popular alternative to silver amalgam fillings. Many of our patients are choosing to replace their existing fillings with either an inlay or onlay to recapture their classic smile.

Created with precision in a dental laboratory from high-grade porcelain, inlays and onlays are a much more conservative treatment option than a full crown, they also require less natural tooth structure to be removed during preparation than an amalgam filling adding to their strength.

Utilised for the restoration of back teeth, an inlay is placed in the indented surface to repair a tooth with minor decay or a small fracture. An onlay is used to repair a tooth with more extensive decay or a larger filling and covers one of several tooth cusps.

Placement of an inlay or onlay will often require two appointments, with the first to meticulously prepare the tooth by removing all the decay or remove the filling if you are having a replacement. Then a detailed mould of the tooth is made so a highly skilled dental technician at our preferred dental laboratory can sculpt your restoration ensuring your inlay or onlay is of the highest quality and a perfect fit.

During this time, a temporary inlay or onlay can be placed to enable you to have a full smile and complete function of your teeth. Because inlays and onlays are sculpted to sit precisely into or onto the tooth, they have far more strength than conventional silver fillings, up to 70% more.

At your following appointment, your temporary inlay or onlay is removed, your laboratory created permanent replacement is checked for fit and comfort before being securely bonded into place with specially formulated dental cement. This seamless integration significantly reduces the likelihood of the restored tooth from developing further tooth decay adding to the longevity of your filling.