Dental Inlays and Onlays

The art of preserving your natural teeth

When it comes to dentistry, our experts work hard to maintain and keep your teeth as healthy as possible for as long as possible. The longer you can keep your natural teeth, the better it is for your overall oral health. Inlays and onlays are a method of preserving teeth which have been attacked by decay. While crowns are an option for damaged teeth, they often require your dentist to file down or remove a little of your existing tooth, in order for the sleeve to fit nicely over the top and stay in line with your existing teeth. Onlays and inlays fit onto your teeth in a way that maintains all or most of your current tooth structure.  

Do I need an inlay or an onlay?

Larger cavities are best treated with inlays and onlays, as fillings simply won’t manage the damage. Inlays are very similar to fillings in that they close up a gap. An inlay sits inside your tooth, while an onlay is fitted to the outside of it and is usually used to build up any area of tooth damage or if your tooth has fractured. It is often the back teeth that require this kind of attention, as the surfaces of the ‘chewing’ teeth are particularly vulnerable to developing cavities.

You may also have an amalgam (silver) filling that you would like replaced with a more natural coloured onlay or inlay. Our Stafford Street Dental & Implant Clinic dentists can remove old fillings, clean out any existing decay and replace unsightly dark patches with a more natural looking treatment.  

What are onlays and inlays made from?

Like fillings, inlays and onlays are usually made from porcelain or composite resin to blend naturally with the rest of your teeth and provide lasting strength and reinforcement to your otherwise damaged tooth. It is possible to get gold and amalgam inlays and onlays, however composite resin and porcelain choices make for a solution that is hardly noticeable.

How long does an onlay or inlay take to fit?

Treatment will take just one appointment as we use Cerec technology, our brilliant 3D scanning computer and milling machine. We scan the underlying tooth, design the shape to fill it and mill that shape from a block of porcelain. We have different types of porcelain blocks for this. We absolutely love Emax porcelain which gives a beautiful, strong and shiny result. The finished restoration gets bonded straight into the tooth. It’s as close as we can get to making your tooth as good as new.

Do you need to book a check up? Early detection of decay is the best way to treat it. Contact Stafford Street Dental & Implant Clinic in Edinburgh on 0131 225 7576 today to make an appointment.