While most people are familiar with dental crowns, very few people know how porcelain inlays and onlays work. These durable, effective restorations are custom made for you in a lab. Your inlay or onlay is specially designed to withstand the powerful force that we use to bite and chew food. They’re also formulated to withstand various temperature changes that occur in our mouths every day. Porcelain inlays and onlays won’t discolor over time due to foods or drinks.
In terms of how these two restorations help your smile, they’re a lot alike. They’re both a good solution for fixing teeth that have been damaged or broken due to decay or trauma. The only difference between your porcelain inlays and onlays is how they fit on to your tooth. An easy way to remember it is like this: an inlay goes “in” your tooth to cover the inner biting surface while onlays go “on” your tooth covering the cusps or raised part of your tooth. Onlays cover one or several cusps.
