What Is an Onlay?

An Onlay will not only fill the cavities in these spaces, but they can work for a larger area, including the cusps.

Onlays are used for decay and damage to the cusps of a tooth as well as the biting surface. Onlays are also called “partial crowns” because they perform a similar function but they only cover part of the tooth, instead of covering it completely.

A dentist will choose an onlay when a cavity is too large to be filled with standard amalgam fillings or the tooth could crack due to weakness. An onlay will strengthen the tooth while protecting the cavity area. Unlike an inlay, this area can include the cusps as well as space between the two.

Inlay & Onlay

Usually, fillings are used to fill small cavities, while crowns are used when the cavity is deeper or there is a larger fracture to cover. However, there may be situations where the filling is not enough and a crown is not necessarily necessary to protect against tooth decay.

Dental inlays and onlays are what many dental professionals will use next if they need something “right” to fill in certain areas. They are more substantial than fillings, but not as intrusive as a crown, which may involve reshaping the teeth in some way.