Porcelain Onlays for Breaks Too Big for a Filling
What is a dental onlay?
A dental onlay is a custom-made porcelain restoration that rebuilds the chewing surface of a back tooth and covers one or more cusps — the raised points you chew with — without covering the whole tooth. It sits between a filling and a full crown. A filling is packed into a cavity and shaped by hand; a crown wraps the tooth on every side. An onlay replaces only the part of the tooth that is gone and is bonded to the healthy structure left behind. You may hear it called a partial crown.
When is an onlay a better choice than a filling or a crown?
An onlay is the better choice when there is too little tooth left for a filling to hold, but enough healthy tooth left that a crown would mean cutting away sound structure. Four common situations:
- A large cavity. Decay has spread across the chewing surface, and a filling that wide would flex under bite pressure and leak at the edges.
- A cracked or broken cusp. A corner of the tooth has split off, often on a molar that already carries a big old filling.
- A worn-out old filling. Once a large filling is removed, the space behind it is frequently wider than more filling material can safely support.
- A heavy bite. An onlay is one solid bonded piece, designed to spread chewing load across the surface rather than wedge the tooth apart. If you grind or clench, we will talk about a night guard too.
Every millimeter of your own tooth that stays is structure a restoration does not have to replace later.
How your onlay is made
We use CAD/CAM technology in the office. Advanced software transforms simple scans of your teeth into porcelain crowns, which is how you can get a porcelain crown the same day, without wearing a temporary or coming back. Designing a restoration on screen also means the shape, the contacts with neighboring teeth and the bite are checked before anything is bonded to your tooth.
What are onlays made of?
Onlays at North Harbor Dentistry are porcelain, bonded to the remaining tooth so the two work as one piece rather than as a plug sitting in a hole. Porcelain can also be shaded to sit alongside the enamel around it.
How long does a dental onlay last?
How long a dental onlay lasts depends on your bite, your daily habits and the edge where porcelain meets tooth. What wears one out is grinding and clenching, chewing ice or hard candy, using your teeth as tools, and decay starting at that margin. Brushing and flossing right at the margin, plus regular cleanings so we can watch the edges, does more for the life of an onlay than anything we do the day we place it.
What the appointment is like
- The tooth is numbed and the decayed or broken structure is cleaned out.
- The prepared tooth is recorded so your onlay can be made to fit it exactly.
- The onlay is bonded into place and your bite is adjusted until it feels right.
- Some cold sensitivity in the first days afterward is common; tell us if it does not settle.
Nitrous oxide is available if dental work makes you tense. Ask us when you book.
Bring us the tooth that is bothering you
If a tooth is sensitive when you bite down, has a crack you can feel with your tongue, or carries an old filling you are tired of patching, have Dr. Matt or Dr. Justine Priess look at it before it breaks further. Call (253) 851-4025 or come by 14315 62nd Ave NW in Gig Harbor — walk-ins are welcome. If a piece has already broken off, call the office and we will accommodate you as soon as possible.