Inlay is a form of indirect restoration, which means inlays are made outside of the mouth as a single, solid piece that fits the specific size and shape of the cavity and then cemented in place in the tooth.
INLAYS VS FILLINGS
Filling
For repairing small to medium sized cavities.
Only need to do minimal preparation to the tooth, removing the damaged portion before placing the filling.
Filling is done directly in the mouth with different types of materials.
It is harder and requires better technique because most filling materials need to be done in a very dry environment. In the mouth, saliva may cause failure of these fillings.
Inlays
Used to repair the large chewing surface of a back tooth and for larger cavities where a normal filling wouldn’t be strong enough, or when normal filling keep dropping out and failing. Inlays are custom made materials so they fit exactly to the size and shape of the cavity. Inlays are stronger and last longer than normal filling.
Benefit of inlays
- Don’t shrink and also extremely durable and stable
- Do not stain and has a high survival and success rate
