Gold Inlay/Onlay

What's an inlay/onlay? Well, a gold restoration that sits in a cavity prepared in a tooth - ie it lies in a cavity - is an inlay, simple, huh? Whereas a gold restoration that rests on a tooth surface external to the cavity - ie it lies on the tooth - is an onlay! This applies to porcelain restorations as well!

The image on the right hand side is an example of two gold inlay/onlays that I placed on a patient recently. Apologies for the poor reproduction but unfortunately the lighting was rather poor that day! We chose to place inlay/onlays rather than full crowns as the amount of tooth that needed replacement was small and more tooth would have to be cut away than actually needed, if we had chosen the crown option.

How Much Preparation Is There?

Although you can't actually see it, the actual thickness of the inlay/onlay is minimal. The amount of preparation needed was small and took only a short time in the surgery. The patient was rapt with the appearance of the inlays.

The steps needed to prepare a tooth for a gold inlay/onlay is very similiar to that needed for a crown.

How Long Do They Last

Gold is inert in the oral environment and will not corrode, the oldest inlay I have ever seen on a patient was placed in 1924! Obviously, this is more an exception rather than the rule but it demonstrates the durability of these types of restorations. It is not uncommon to see a gold inlay/onlay or crown last for 20 or more years - with proper care of course.