Fillings, Inlays and Onlays

These three methods of treating damage to teeth let us scale our repair to the extent of damage. Fillings would be used for minor damage and decay; inlays and onlays repair more extensive damage. 

For normal treatment of tooth decay, a tooth-colored composite resin is used. We match this resin to the patient’s tooth color and clean out decayed tissue using air abrasion instead of a drill. This method is more comfortable for our patient and is much gentler on the tooth. The resin is then used to repair the decayed tooth.

What are inlays and onlays? They are lab-created restorations designed to repair larger areas of decayed or fractured teeth. They are needed when the larger repair might leave the tooth weakened. Inlays fit between the points (cusps) of the tooth. An onlay may do the same but also replaces one or more of these cusps.