---
title: "What Is Inlay? Dental Glossary | Town Center Dental"
description: "An inlay is a custom-made filling that sits within the chewing surface of a tooth, between the cusps. A lab or milling machine makes it outside the mouth."
url: https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/inlay
publisher: Town Center Dental
phone: +1-636-273-5866
quote: https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/request-appointment
---

Procedures

# Inlay

An inlay is a custom-made filling that sits within the chewing surface of a tooth, between the cusps. A lab or milling machine makes it outside the mouth.

An inlay is a type of indirect filling. It is made outside the mouth to match the shape of the prepared cavity. It is then bonded to the tooth. An inlay fills the area between the cusps of your teeth.

Sometimes a cavity is too big for a regular filling but too small for a crown. In a case like this, your dentist might recommend an inlay or onlay. They are used when a tooth has too much damage to support a filling but not enough to need a full crown.

Inlays can be made of gold, porcelain or composite. Gold inlays are made of an alloy of gold, copper and other metals. Your dentist can tell you which material suits your tooth. See [onlay](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/onlay) and [dental filling](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/dental-filling). Our office describes [restorative dentistry](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/services/restorative-dentistry) on its own page.

[Town Center Dental can helpRestorative Dentistry](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/services/restorative-dentistry)

## Related terms

-   [Onlay](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/onlay)
-   [Dental filling](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/dental-filling)
-   [Dental crown](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/dental-crown)
-   [Cusp](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/cusp)
-   [Gold alloy](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/gold-alloy)

## Sources

1.  [Cleveland Clinic: Restorative Dentistry: What It Is, Types & Procedures](https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/10924-dental-restorations)
2.  [American Dental Association: Glossary of Dental Terms](https://www.ada.org/publications/cdt/glossary-dental-terms)

## Ready when you are

[Request an appointment](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/request-appointment)[Call (636) 273-5866](tel:+1-636-273-5866)