Inlays & Onlays

What are they?

You can have inlays or onlays instead of a filling. Fillings are soft to begin with and are moulded to the shape in the mouth. Inlays and onlays are made outside the mouth, usually in a dental laboratory, and then glued to the tooth in the surgery.

An inlay sits in a hole in the tooth, and an onlay sits on the tooth and builds up its shape. They can be made in tooth colouring porcelain, gold or a material called composite. Different materials are suitable for different parts of the mouth and different parts of the teeth.

What will my dentist do?

Your dentist will:

  • Normally give you a local anaesthetic to numb the area
  • Remove any old filling material and any decayed or damaged tooth
  • Use soft, mouldable material which sets in the mouth to record the shape of the tooth being repaired and the teeth around it
  • Give the impression to the dental technician to make the inlay or onlay
  • Use a temporary filling to protect the tooth that is being repaired while you wait for the inlay or onlay to be repaired
  • Glue the inlay or onlay in place on your next visit (they may make small adjustments so that the tooth is comfortable to bite on)

What are the benefits?

  • Inlays and onlays are strong and can last longer than fillings
  • They are especially suitable for the chewing surfaces of back teeth and for large repairs to front teeth where it can be difficult to make a white filling look natural
  • Your dentist can match the colour to your other teeth.

Why choose us?

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Customer Service

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Patient Reviews

People are talking about us

The biggest complement we receive is when our patients refer their friends and family to Cedar Dental Care. In fact, we have built much of our practice on these valued, trusted recommendations over the years. Read our reviews to hear why our patients are recommending us…

Patient reviews

2426 Reviews

5.0

29th August 2026

Staff are friendly. Dentist is very good at checking throat, tongue, etc as well as teeth.

29th August 2026

Welcoming, clean, lovely dentist who puts me at ease. Efficient service.

28th August 2026

I have been using Roy most of my life, his skills are the best I’ve received, I’ve tried others but never felt happy with them

27th August 2026

Smooth transition from place to place, treated with friendliness as well as courtesy and respect. Questions answered with patience and encouragement. A lovely calm atmosphere within the practice. What can often be a nerve wracking experience is turned into a positive one.

26th August 2026

Welcoming and professional, but clinicians put you at ease

26th August 2026

Exceptional dental service, been coming for years with my parents and now we attend as a family. Would not go anywhere else, everyone is so friendly and offer a fantastic service. Abi is the best and so are the rest of the team.

26th August 2026

Abby was amazing as usual. She is a real credit to the practise. And the lady on reception was so helpful and friendly, taking the time to help me even though she was very busy!

26th August 2026

Polite professional staff. Clean environment

26th August 2026

Really like patrick who has an excellent apprach with patients, very thorough and always gives you a break if needed. Patrick is a great asset to the practice.

26th August 2026

Abigail always explains things very clearly to me, and I trust her implicitly. She is a superlative dentist, and also kind and caring.

22nd August 2026

As always good administration and good treatment by all

21st August 2026

From beginning to end, with lovely reception staff, amazing dentist, Abi and her assistant Randy....Full check up inc x ray and dental clean. Always checks with me for medical news and always takes care of me so well...

20th August 2026

Highly professional friendly explained things as he progressed with treatment Highly skilled

20th August 2026

comfortable atmosphere, well trained and competent staff

20th August 2026

All is made clear during the appointment. Once the treatment begins you are never rushed. Staff are always helpful.

19th August 2026

Always made to feel welcome and relaxed! Dental nurse extremely polite and helpful! Of all the dental practices I have attended Cedar is the very best! Patrick Bannister is professional and confident at all times! Thank you!

19th August 2026

Full explanation giving me confidence of way forward with treatment.

19th August 2026

Every thing was explained, every step of my treatment moving forward was explained. So very happy with my experience.

16th August 2026

The dentist explained everything that was happening and was caring and understanding

16th August 2026

Dr Dundas is an absolutely amazing dentist - I drive for over two hours to see her. She is amazing at explaining things, remembers everything from the last visit and is generally great. I’ve been coming to her since I was a child and am now 37! The best dentist in the UK for sure!

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