Inlays and onlays are restorations (fillings) used to repair teeth with mild to moderate decay or cracked and fractured teeth that are not sufficiently damaged to need a crown. This allows Dr. Hynes to conserve more of your original tooth structure. They can be made of porcelain, gold, or composite resin (tooth-colored material) and are bonded to the damaged area of your tooth. An inlay is used to restore an area inside the cusp tips of your tooth. An onlay is a more substantial restoration, similar to an inlay, but extending out over one or more of the cusps of your tooth. In some cases, where the damage of your tooth is not extensive enough to merit an entire crown, an onlay can provide an extremely good alternative.