Dental Inlays vs Dental Onlays

Dental Inlays vs Dental Onlays

Do you have a tooth that has been broken or is chipped or is decaying? Well, there are a ton of solutions available for you to get it fixed. An experienced dentist, like the ones at AS4U, will give you cohort of options such as – filling, inlay, onlay, crown and dental implant.

Here is all the information about Dental Inlays vs Dental Onlays options you need to have before undergoing a treatment.

What is an inlay?

The primary layer of damage control is a filling. Right after a filling, comes an inlay. The inlay is generally useful, when the cavity created in teeth due to damage is too big to be filled. An inlay has a small presence on the top of the tooth and goes deep inside, all the way till the middle of the tooth.

It gives the tooth the complete shape it should ideally have and also provides it with the strength required to carry on everyday activities such as chewing and biting, without any sensations or pain.

What is an onlay?

The onlay is a little more towards the outer side of the tooth. It is still not as big as a crown and is built according to the shape of the cavity created on the top of the tooth.

When is an inlay or onlay necessary?

It is imperative to understand the difference between an inlay and an outlay. In the entire hierarchy of fillings to crown, the first level is that of a filling. Here, the damage caused by cavity is minimal and a filling would suffice. Post this, there is the inlay, which is a little more than a filling and covers up a larger portion of the teeth. After it, there comes the outlay – it covers the area when cavity cannot be filled up only by the usage of inlay.

Beyond the outlay, the crown is used. The crown signifies that there has been significant damage to the tooth because of decay. Hence, using a crown should be the last option in terms of fillings. So, if you have to choose between an inlay and an outlay, you can choose depending upon the size and shape of the cavity.