For tooth decay (cavities), cracking, or fracturing which require more structural support than fillings alone can offer, inlays, onlays, or dental crowns may be the treatment option of choice. Inlays and onlays cover portions of a tooth, while dental crowns cover or cap the entire tooth.

What are Inlays and Onlays?

They’re porcelain fillings which are bonded to the tooth, rather than being packed into the cavity like metal amalgam fillings.

Inlayslie between the cusps, the small bumps on the top surface. They are custom made of porcelain to fit the cavity. When they are placed in the cavity, they are already hard and are then bonded to the tooth with a dental cement. With a metal amalgam filling, amalgam is packed directly into the prepared cavity and no cement is required. The cavity is given extra drilling to shape it best for holding in the amalgam, and the amalgam hardens by itself.

Onlaysare similar except that they extend over one or more cusps, repairing some of the outer surfaces. So onlays are larger than inlays.

Inlays and onlays preserve more of the original tooth structure than dental crowns or metal fillings. The porcelain offers a close match to your tooth colour and gleams white like natural tooth enamel.

What are Dental Crowns?

They are custom-made restorations which completely cover the affected tooth, after the decay is removed and the tooth prepared. They are made from a mold of the tooth so they will fit precisely. Crowns are used when the tooth’s root is intact, but the tooth’s surface has large amounts of decay or severe fracturing. They can:

· Improve aesthetic appearance of teeth

· Provide a new chewing surface

· Preserve the life of badly decayed teeth

Porcelain is the material preferred for crowns by most dentists today.

Inlays, onlays and crowns are referred to as indirect restorations because they are custom-made in a lab and then attached to the tooth. Metal fillings are direct restorations, because they are put directly into the tooth and then shaped.

You can discuss these options for treating your cavity or broken tooth, with your dentist and listen to the recommended treatment(s) which are proposed.