What Are Inlays And Onlays?

Inlays and onlays are often confused with dental fillings and dental crowns. They have the same basic purpose — they are used to restore a tooth with decay. The difference among these three is when they are best used on your decayed teeth.

Inlays and onlays are recommended when the damage is too large for a dental filling to fix, but isn’t damaged enough to require a dental crown.

Another significant difference is the application. While dental fillings are directly moulded unto the target tooth during your appointment, inlays and onlays are first fabricated in the laboratory before being fitted to the tooth.