Restorative Dentistry · Everett, WA

Inlay / Onlay

Lab-made restorations for damage too large for a filling, too small for a crown.

The middle ground

When a back tooth is damaged beyond what a filling can properly restore but still has healthy structure worth keeping, an inlay or onlay is often the right answer. Both are custom-made outside the mouth and then bonded into place.

Compared with a crown, both preserve significantly more natural tooth — a crown requires reducing the entire tooth. Compared with a large filling, both are stronger and far more stable over time.

This is the option most patients have never been offered, and it occupies real ground. A very large direct filling flexes under load and eventually splits the tooth; a crown solves that but requires reducing the entire tooth to a stump. An inlay or onlay is made in a lab to fit precisely, bonded in place, and replaces only the part that is actually missing.

An inlay sits within the cusps of the tooth. An onlay extends over one or more of them, which is what makes it the choice when a cusp has cracked or been undermined — it caps and protects that cusp the way a crown would, without touching the sound walls elsewhere on the tooth.

When an inlay or onlay is the right answer

  • A back tooth too damaged for a filling but with healthy structure still worth keeping.
  • A large old filling that has cracked, or that keeps chipping at the edges.
  • A cusp that has broken away, leaving the rest of the tooth sound.
  • A tooth where a crown would mean cutting down far more than the damage warrants.

What to expect

Usually two visits, with a temporary in between.

  1. 1 Preparation Decay or old restoration is removed and the tooth is shaped to receive the inlay or onlay.
  2. 2 Impressions Precise impressions go to the laboratory. You wear a temporary while it is made.
  3. 3 Bonding We check fit and contacts, adjust the bite, and bond the restoration permanently.

Longevity

Well-made inlays and onlays commonly last many years. Clean between the teeth daily to protect the margins, and if you grind your teeth a nightguard will meaningfully extend their life.

Common questions about inlay / onlay

How is this different from a crown?
Coverage. A crown envelops the whole tooth and requires reducing all of it; an inlay or onlay replaces only the damaged portion and leaves healthy walls intact. Where enough sound tooth remains, that is the more conservative choice.
How many visits does it take?
Traditionally two — one to prepare the tooth and take an impression, with a temporary in place, and one to bond the finished restoration. We will tell you at the planning stage what your tooth needs.
How long do inlays and onlays last?
Well-made ones commonly last many years, comparable with crowns. Cleaning between the teeth protects the margins, which is where problems start, and a nightguard is worth it if you grind.
Does it look like a natural tooth?
Yes — they are made in porcelain or composite matched to your tooth, and because they are bonded rather than cemented into an undercut, the margins can be finished very finely.
Is it covered by insurance?
Most plans treat inlays and onlays as major restorative work, similar to crowns, and contribute at that level. Coverage varies by plan, so we will check your benefits and give you a written estimate first.

Questions about inlay / onlay?

We'll walk you through the options, the costs, and what to expect.

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