Inlays and Onlays

Inlays and Onlays in Reedley, CA

If you are looking for dental inlays and onlays in Reedley, CA, Reedley Family Dental provides tooth-colored restorative options for teeth that need more support than a traditional filling but may not require a full dental crown. Inlays can restore areas within the cusps of a tooth, while onlays can extend over one or more cusps to help restore a more extensively damaged back tooth.

Depending on the condition of your tooth, an inlay or onlay may be made from materials such as ceramic, porcelain, or dental composite. These restorations can provide a natural-looking appearance while helping restore the function and structure of a damaged tooth. Patients with smaller areas of decay may also be candidates for composite fillings and dental bonding.

When a tooth requires greater coverage or protection, a dental crown may be a more appropriate restorative option. Reedley Family Dental also offers CEREC technology for creating certain ceramic restorations in the dental office. Maintaining regular preventive dental care can also help identify tooth decay and damage before more extensive restoration is needed. Our Reedley dental team can evaluate your tooth and help determine which restorative option best fits your needs.

Traditionally, inlays were used instead of fillings to replace a small amount of tooth structure loss due to dental decay. Like fillings, inlays fit inside the tooth.

Dental Inlays

Today, inlays are still being used as dental fillings, but the inlays can be made of a tooth-colored material such as ceramic/porcelain or special dental composite depending on what the patient wants. Defective or unsightly “fillings” can be replaced by tooth-colored inlays and bonded to the tooth in about 30mins to 1 hour. This bonding process may actually improve the strength of the tooth and help seal the inlay to the tooth.

Dental Onlays

Like inlays, onlays also fit inside the tooth, but extend onto the chewing surface of a back tooth to replace one or more cusps. In the past, onlays were made only of gold, but like inlays, more and more patients request a tooth-colored onlay. Making the onlay of ceramic/porcelain allows the restoration to be bonded to the tooth and look natural. This bonding process may actually improve the strength of the tooth and help seal the onlay to the tooth to prevent further decay.