Onlays
Between a filling and a crown: rebuilds the biting surface while leaving far more of your own tooth in place.
Tooth Preserving
Keeps what a crown would remove.
Natural Look
Porcelain or composite, shade-matched.
Strong & Durable
Made to fit, made to last.
Precise Fit
Laboratory-made, not hand-packed.
Book an onlay consultation
Worth asking whether an onlay would do the job before agreeing to a crown.
Too much for a filling, too good for a crown.
Where a back tooth is too broken down to hold a filling but its walls are still sound, cutting it down for a crown throws away tooth that did not need to go. An onlay covers the biting surface and whichever cusps need rebuilding, and leaves the rest alone.
What an onlay is
A restoration made in a laboratory and bonded onto the biting surface of a back tooth. A crown wraps the whole tooth down to the gum; an onlay covers only what needs covering, which is why it is sometimes called a partial crown.
What they are made from
Three materials, chosen for the tooth rather than by default:
Composite Resin
Tooth-coloured and bonded in place. A sound balance of appearance and strength where the tooth shows a little.
Porcelain / Ceramic
Harder wearing than composite and the best-looking of the three. The usual choice where the tooth is visible when you smile.
Gold
Still unbeaten for lifespan, and gentle on the tooth biting against it. Chosen for molars where nobody is going to see it.
Your dentist will recommend one based on where the tooth sits, how hard you bite and what matters to you.
When we suggest one
Typically where:
- An old filling is failing but the walls of the tooth are still solid
- A single cusp has fractured off an otherwise healthy tooth
- A very large filling keeps breaking and needs something stronger
- You would rather not have a sound tooth cut down for a crown
If the tooth is more broken down than that, a crown is genuinely the better answer. If it is less, a filling will do. Onlays cover the ground in between.
Two appointments
It cannot be done in one, because the onlay is made outside the mouth:
- The damaged part is removed, an impression taken and a temporary fitted.
- The finished onlay is tried in, the bite checked, then bonded permanently.
Ours are made by a UK laboratory, which matters both for the materials and for being able to send something back when it is not right.
How long they last
Ten to fifteen years is normal, and gold or good ceramic often considerably more.
- Clean the margins properly — that is where they fail
- Keep off ice, pens and nutshells
- Wear a nightguard if you grind, or you will break it
- Come to your check-ups so we spot any leak early
Onlay or crown?
When we suggest an onlay
An onlay sits between a filling and a crown. Where enough sound tooth is left, it rebuilds the biting surface while keeping far more of your own tooth than a crown would — which is usually the better outcome in the long run.
Ceramic, Composite & Gold
All three materials are available. Your dentist will explain which suits the tooth, how long each should last and what it costs, before anything starts.
See our Fees page for current pricing.