Dr. Thomas Saitta, DDS
Inlays and Onlays
Custom restorations for tooth decay or damage that has outgrown a filling but does not need a full crown.
Chapter 01
The middle ground between a filling and a crown
Some decay or damage is too extensive for a simple filling to hold, but not so extensive that the whole tooth needs to be covered by a crown. That middle ground is where an inlay or an onlay fits.
An inlay sits within the biting surface of the tooth, between the cusps. An onlay covers one or more of the cusps themselves when the damage extends further out toward the edge of the tooth.
Private consultation room at Crown Dentistry of the Palm Beaches
Custom made, seated at a second visit
Because an inlay or onlay has to fit the exact shape of the space it is restoring, it is not something built at the chairside on the spot. An impression is taken first, and the piece is custom made to that shape.
A second visit seats the finished restoration, checking it against the bite and the teeth around it before it is fixed permanently in place.
Chapter 03
Keeping more of the natural tooth
The advantage over a full crown is how much of the original tooth stays untouched. A crown covers the whole tooth above the gumline; an inlay or onlay only replaces the part that was actually damaged.
For a tooth that still has enough healthy structure to build on, that is often the more conservative route, and it is the one Dr. Saitta will walk you through if it applies to yours.
Crown Dentistry, We accept most PPO insurance plans and CareCredit financing. Call (561) 964-2002.