When a tooth suffers from damage or decay, you have a few options for restoring the tooth’s health, structure and functionality. One of the restorative options we offer in our dental office is inlays and onlays. Dental inlays and onlays, sometimes called indirect fillings or partial crowns, are often used as an aesthetic, conservative restoration choice. Inlays and onlays are used to restore the chewing surface of an injured or decayed tooth. When the damage is too extensive to be effectively restored with a filling, yet not severe enough to warrant a dental crown, Dr. McCall may recommend a dental onlay or inlay.

Inlays and onlays are created from molds of your teeth and are fitted directly onto the tooth for a lasting, natural-looking restoration. Dental inlays and onlays serve the same purpose in restoring the structure and health of a damaged tooth. The difference between inlays and onlays is how much of the tooth they restore; an inlay is used for less extensive damage that does not extend to the cusps of the tooth, while an onlay can be used to repair the cusps.