There are many ways to damage a tooth, and when it happens, it’s important to get it repaired right away. However, if you break a tooth, you don’t always need a crown or cap, and those options can be incredibly noticeable and ruin your smile. Other tooth restoration options work in some situations; they are not more obvious than a crown. Inlays and onlays fix tooth damage that isn’t quite severe enough to necessitate a crown. Not only are they a better option in some cases, but people will only be able to tell you to have them.

A porcelain inlay or onlay is an excellent way to fix and preserve a damaged tooth, and they take less time and are generally less expensive than crowns to boot. See us, your local dentist near you, about dental inlays and onlays treatment today.

What Exactly Are Dental Inlays and Onlays?

Dental inlays and onlays are less common than crowns or filling, but they serve practically the same purpose. When you suffer damage to the top of your tooth, you can use either an inlay or onlay to fix it.

Inlays are a type of dental appliance placed inside a tooth’s biting surface. These are useful when you have a crack in a tooth that is not severe enough to need gluing back together. The inlay sits on top of the damaged area and protects it from harm. Since they are made of porcelain, the inlay can match the natural tooth color.

Onlays are similar, except they are placed over the top of the tooth at the area where a crown would go. These are used to restore the shape and function of the top of the tooth in cases where the tooth is damaged but not badly enough to need a crown put on. In this case, an onlay is just as effective as a crown but cheaper, making it easier to install one.