Inlays and onlays are indirect dental restorations used to repair teeth with moderate damage or decay—situations where fillings are inadequate but crowns would be excessive. Made from durable materials like porcelain, composite resin, or gold, they're custom-fabricated in a dental laboratory to precisely fit your tooth.
These restorations represent the ideal middle ground: stronger and more durable than fillings, yet more conservative than crowns. By preserving more of your natural tooth structure, inlays and onlays help maintain long-term dental health while restoring full function and appearance.
Fit within the cusps (bumps) of the tooth, similar to a filling but custom-made in a laboratory for superior fit and durability.
Best For:
Decay or damage confined to the center of the tooth
Extend over one or more cusps of the tooth, providing more coverage. Sometimes called 'partial crowns' due to their extensive coverage.
Best For:
Moderate to extensive damage affecting the cusps
Most popular choice for its natural appearance and excellent stain resistance. Can be color-matched precisely to surrounding teeth.
Key Benefits: Aesthetic, biocompatible, durable
Tooth-colored material that bonds well to tooth structure. More affordable option with good aesthetic results.
Key Benefits: Cost-effective, repairable, conservative
Extremely durable and gentle on opposing teeth. Requires minimal tooth removal and can last decades with proper care.
Key Benefits: Longevity, strength, biocompatible
Comprehensive examination including x-rays to assess the extent of damage. We discuss material options and create a customized treatment plan.
The damaged or decayed portion is carefully removed. The tooth is shaped to receive the inlay or onlay, preserving maximum healthy structure.
Digital scanning or traditional impressions capture exact tooth dimensions. These ensure your restoration fits perfectly without affecting your bite.
A temporary restoration protects the prepared tooth while your custom inlay or onlay is fabricated in our dental laboratory.
The temporary is removed, and your custom restoration is carefully fitted and adjusted. Once perfect, it's permanently bonded using advanced dental adhesives.
While fillings are placed directly in the cavity and molded by the dentist, inlays and onlays are fabricated in a laboratory for superior strength, fit, and longevity. They're ideal when damage is too extensive for a filling but doesn't require a full crown.
Crowns cover the entire tooth, requiring significant reduction of tooth structure. Inlays and onlays are more conservative, preserving healthy tooth tissue while providing comparable strength and aesthetics for appropriate cases.
With proper care, inlays and onlays can last 10-30 years or more:
Your dentist may recommend inlays or onlays when:
Discover how inlays and onlays can repair your damaged teeth with precision and care.
Call 0733 332 735 Book ConsultationAt Brisbane CBD Dental Clinic, you will find an array of dental solutions that will fit you and your entire family’s needs. We provide all ages care and can make sure that your teeth and gums stay in great shape over your lifetime. If you have had an issue with tooth decay, our first line of defense is usually a filling. We provide tooth-coloured fillings that will blend in perfectly with your teeth. If the area of decay is large, however, a filling may not be sufficient to address it. In such a case, we may recommend an inlay or onlay.
Inlays and onlays are one of the many treatment options we offer to improve your oral health. An inlay is placed on the chewing surface of a tooth when a dental filling isn’t suitable. An onlay is placed over the cusps of the tooth for more extensive coverage.
They’re available in different materials, which we’ll be happy to discuss with you so that you can decide which is best for your situation. All will give your tooth the stability it needs, protecting it against further damage or decay. Both can be options to replace existing fillings if you have amalgam or composite materials that you’d like to exchange.
There are two appointments necessary to getting an inlay or onlay. At your first visit, we’ll take impressions of the tooth that requires treatment, then send the information to our local laboratory. There, your inlay or onlay will be customised to exact specifications. Once it is returned to our clinic, you’ll return to have it placed on your tooth. Your inlay or onlay Brisbane CBD is firmly bonded to your tooth so that it is a long-lasting solution to addressing your tooth decay.
Just as you need to brush and floss your natural teeth daily, inlays and onlays also require good oral hygiene. If cared for properly, inlays and onlays could last for a decade or more.
Don’t put off giving your oral health the attention it needs. Let’s make sure you show off a brilliant and healthy smile. Contact our team today to schedule your consultation! We are preferred providers for HCF and NIB.