Inlays

Inlays can be made of ceramic or composite (a reinforced resin). They are used to restore the tooth damaged by caries, or to replace dark metal fillings (amalgam). The inlays do not contain metal. Small caries can be treated with composite fillings made directly by the dentist.
However, when the caries is large, direct composite fillings have a tendency to shrink during hardening (polymerization) and tend to detach from the tooth walls. The inlays, on the other hand, are produced on a plaster model and do not undergo shrinkage after cementation in the oral cavity.
For large caries, the inlays offer a better margin sealing and a longer life.

Case: Dark metal filling (amalgam), replaced by a composite inlay