These type of restorations are used to repair decayed or damaged teeth. They are recommended when your tooth needs more support than a regular filling.

Inlays are recommended to replace the inside biting portion of a tooth when the healthy structure remains on the outside biting portion of the tooth. Onlays are used to replace broken cusps or to add strength to compromised areas around the perimeter of the tooth.

A large dental filling can weaken the remaining healthy structure of the tooth, causing the tooth to break, crack or eventually need root canal therapy. The forces of your bite can perpetuate this damage because a filling can simply not withstand these forces over time.

Inlays and onlays offer a conservative preparation that preserves as much healthy tooth as possible. They are not likely to discolour over time as tooth-coloured resin fillings often do. Prefabricated composite, porcelain or gold inlays and onlays have a precise fit hence your tooth can be easier to clean. An onlay can protect the weak areas of the tooth.

While your Reading dentist always wants to provide you with restorative procedures that last you a long time, virtually no procedure can really be considered “permanent” in dentistry. Inlays and onlays will last between five and fifteen years on average, but this is mostly dependent on the amount of stress they endure and the patient’s oral hygiene. With proper care Emax® inlays, and onlays can last a lifetime.