Inlays & onlays
An inlay or onlay is a partial-coverage restoration used for selected damaged teeth. This guide explains questions to ask when comparing a filling, an inlay or onlay, and a crown.
Assess tooth structure
Compare repair options
Plan the restoration
Understanding your options
How the options differ
A filling repairs part of a tooth directly. An inlay or onlay is a restoration shaped to fit a prepared area; an onlay can cover one or more chewing cusps. A crown generally provides more extensive coverage. These categories are useful to understand, but deciding between them requires an examination.
Questions for your treatment discussion
Why not just a filling? Ask whether the remaining tooth can reliably support one and what the dentist sees that changes the recommendation.
Why not a crown? Ask which areas need protection and whether partial coverage is appropriate. Do not assume every damaged tooth can be treated conservatively in the same way.
Which material will be used? Discuss the options, their limitations and your preferences before treatment. Materials and techniques currently available at the practice must be confirmed.
How many visits are needed? Ask how the restoration will be made, whether a temporary is needed and how your appointments are arranged. This page does not promise same-day fabrication.
What does the estimate cover? Ask whether imaging, preparation, temporary care and any additional treatment are included. Insurance coverage is individual.
Aftercare and expectations
Get instructions specific to your restoration. Report a changed bite, persistent pain, damage or loosening to the treating office. A repaired tooth still needs daily care and examinations. The original Fedon site lists inlays and onlays; confirm current availability and suitability before planning care.
If a temporary restoration is used
Ask how to eat and clean around it and what to do if it becomes loose or comes out. A temporary is part of a treatment sequence, not a substitute for the planned final restoration. Confirm the next appointment and call the treating office about a problem rather than trying household glue or attempting to reshape it.
At the fitting and review
Tell the dentist if the tooth feels different when you close or chew. Ask which sensations are expected, what should prompt a call and whether another review is planned. An apparent improvement in comfort alone does not tell you whether every part of the treatment plan is complete.
Read general aftercare questions; your clinician’s specific instructions take priority.
Sources & review status
Prepared November 12, 2026. Temporary website review preview; clinical review by the practice is pending. General education, not an individual diagnosis or treatment plan. Confirm current services with the practice.
Choosing the amount of coverage
The amount and location of healthy tooth remaining are central to the decision. A smaller-sounding treatment is not automatically better if it cannot support the tooth, and a larger restoration should have a clear clinical reason. The images below are theme illustrations, not Fedon patient results.