Your Smilebuilderz dentists here in Lancaster, PA offer other alternatives to repair damage to the tooth’s biting surface, rather than using a simple filling or a dental crown. Our dentists will sometimes suggest using a dental inlay, or an onlay.

Dental inlays and onlays can be made from porcelain, gold, composite or ceramic resin, although porcelain is now becoming our material of choice because of its strength and potential to match the natural color of your tooth. At Smilebuilderz we are always looking to bring our Lancaster county patients the very best alternatives in dental technology.

A dental inlay or dental onlay is similar to a filling and lies inside the cusp tips of the tooth. They are both custom-made to fit the prepared cavity and are then cemented into place.

A Dental Onlay is a more extensive reconstruction that covers one or more cusps of a tooth. Onlays are indicated in situations where a substantial reconstruction is required. However, more of the tooth structure can be conserved compared to the placement of a crown.

Dental inlays and onlays are applied in two dental visits. At the first visit, the old filling, or decay, is removed, and the tooth is prepared for the dental inlay / onlay. Your Smilebuilderz dentist will then make an impression of the tooth, and send this impression to a dental laboratory. This impression will be used by the laboratory to construct a custom-made porcelain, or gold inlay / onlay. At this first visit your Smilebuilderz dentist will place a temporary sealant on your tooth and schedule a second appointment.

At the second visit, the temporary sealant is removed. Your Smilebuilderz dentist will then ensure that the inlay / onlay fits properly in the tooth and does not interfere with your bite. The inlay / onlay is then bonded into the tooth with a strong bonding resin, and polished smooth.

The advantages of using a Dental inlay or onlay are:

• Highly esthetic
• No metal shows
• Strong once bonded to tooth
• Well-sealed tooth
• Will not stain
• Will insulate the tooth
• Well suited for large cavities
• Long lasting