Minor cavities can be filled with a composite resin, or white filling. But if the decay is more severe, there may not have enough of the tooth left to support a filling. If this is the case, but you still have enough tooth left that you don’t need a crown, then Dr. Petroff can restore the tooth with a porcelain dental inlay or onlay.
Inlays and onlays cover more of the tooth’s surface, and it will take two visits to complete them. The difference between an inlay and an onlay is in how much of the tooth each one covers. An inlay covers the top of your tooth up to the cusps, the rounded edges on your tooth. An onlay is used to cover more of the tooth and extends beyond the cusps.
At the first visit, Dr. Petroff will first clear the tooth of decay, then make impressions of your teeth to send to a dental laboratory. Before you leave your first appointment, she’ll put a temporary inlay or filling in the tooth. When the inlay or onlay is ready, you’ll come back for your second visit, where she removes the temporary filling, and then cements the inlay/onlay onto your tooth.