An onlay is a partial filling crown that covers the biting surface and may replace one or more sides of the tooth.
An onlay is recommended instead of a crown when there isn’t much tooth left. It can restore heavily broken down or root-filled teeth and large fillings, reducing future breakdown. Onlays improve the shape and appearance of worn, broken, or discolored teeth and are less intrusive than crowns, leaving the tooth stronger.
Onlays can be either made of tooth-coloured ceramic material (such as e.max), tooth coloured composite resin (like a white filling) or of metal.
Your dentist will discuss with you which material choices are available and the advantages of each in your particular case.
All of our onlays are custom made for each individual case, by a highly skilled dental technician to ensure an excellent fit and appearance.
Usually, we will need an up to date X-ray of your tooth/teeth to check that the roots are healthy and the foundations strong before commencing the process of preparing your tooth for an onlay.
Your dentist will shape your tooth under local anesthetic to make space for the onlay. Impressions of your teeth will be taken, and a shade will be chosen to match your existing teeth. You will then receive a temporary crown to cover the prepared tooth.
About two weeks later, your temporary onlay will be replaced with your new one. The dentist will ensure a proper fit and appearance, then cement or bond the onlay in place to ensure durability.
Onlays typically last around 10-15 years.
There are a wide variety of factors that influence this, including:
