Inlay and Onlays
Inlay
An inlay is a dental restoration, which is like a filling, but is prepared in the lab and then placed in the cavity of the tooth and then bonded to the tooth.
Before and After Video and Photo Gallery...
Onlay
An onlay is a dental restoration which is not a full cap, like a dental crown, but overlays one or more cusps of the tooth. It is prepared in the lab and then bonded to the tooth.
It is interesting that inlays have always been a decorative technique. They are used in wood, stone, jewelry and the like. This is also true in dentistry where a solid filling is placed in the biting surface of a tooth. Whether it is porcelain or gold, inlays in dentistry take a designers eye when tooth restoration takes place. An onlay is distinguished from an inlay in that it involves the outer surface of a tooth as well as the biting surface.
Porcelain inlays are considered durable, with a manufacturing process that enables a high degree of accuracy in placing the inlay. Porcelain inlays bind onto the tooth and increase the overall strength of the tooth and can be used to repair somewhat damaged back teeth. They are made of very strong and durable industrial ceramics. Bonded into place with special adhesives, they hold the damaged parts of the tooth together.
Both inlays and onlays are preferred over fillings where it is important to strengthen the tooth. They are made in a lab just like a crown so it involves two visits to complete the procedure with a temporary placed on the tooth after the cast for the inlay or onlay is created. Done right inlays and onlays can last up to 10 or 20 years.
Beverly Hills cosmetic dentist, Dr. Kourosh Maddahi, explains the use of porcelain in his practice, "The teeth that have points or cusps can have a ceramic inlay that lies inside the cusp tips of the tooth. Custom-made, they fit the cavity after it is prepared and are cemented into place. More substantive reconstruction can be needed that covers one or more of these cusps and that is an onlay."
Featured Videos
Smile Makeovers
Kathy Griffin on Oprah
Comedienne Kathy Griffin describes her smile makeover from Dr. Maddahi
Smile Makeover on Entertainment Tonight
Watch Dr. Maddahi transform Sherry's smile rapidly with porcelain veneers!
Smile Makeover on Fox 11 News
Watch Dr. Maddahi transform Patricia's smile with tooth recontouring and whitening in just 2 hours.
Dwayne Wall's Smile Makeover
Watch Dr. Maddahi use tooth contouring, veneers and whitening to give Dwayne a great smile.
What Our Clients
Have To Say...
I visited Dr. Maddahi for the first time upon recommendation of some of his clients. The experience was even better than expected. May I say 'I enjoyed going to the dentist!' His highly communicative approach, including gentleness, friendliness, sense of ease, and mastery were what I have always thought a practitioner could have. Dr. Maddahi does. I recommend him to anyone. ”
~ E.S. Producer, Studio City, CA
