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Ceramic Onlay Indication — NDEB AFK MCQ

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ModerateRestorative DentistryCeramic Onlay IndicationNDEB AFK

A 35-year-old patient has a large mesio-occluso-distal (MOD) cavity on the maxillary second premolar with loss of the mesial marginal ridge. The remaining buccal and palatal walls are thin but supragingival. What is the most appropriate restoration?

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Correct answer: C — Ceramic onlay

With a large MOD cavity and thin remaining walls on a premolar, an indirect restoration (onlay) provides superior cuspal coverage and protection against fracture compared to a direct intracoronal restoration. A ceramic onlay offers excellent aesthetics, bonded reinforcement of remaining tooth structure, and conservative preparation (no full-coverage reduction). A full crown would require removal of more sound tooth structure.

Reference: Heymann – Sturdevant's Art and Science of Operative Dentistry, 7th ed., 2019