Dental Inlays and Onlays Market – Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, Segmented By Material (Porcelain, Zirconia, Gold, Composite), By Type (Direct and Indirect), and By Region & Competition, 2021-2031F

Forecast Period	2027-2031
Market Size (2025)	USD 3.72 Billion
CAGR (2026-2031)	9.92%
Fastest Growing Segment	Direct
Largest Market	North America
Market Size (2031)	USD 6.56 Billion

Market Overview

The Global Dental Inlays and Onlays Market will grow from USD 3.72 Billion in 2025 to USD 6.56 Billion by 2031 at a 9.92% CAGR. Dental inlays and onlays are indirect restorative solutions utilized to repair posterior teeth with mild to moderate decay or structural damage that does not require a full crown. The primary drivers supporting market growth include the rising global incidence of dental caries and the increasing necessity for restorative treatments among an aging population. According to the American Dental Association, in 2025, consumer dental spending increased by 4% as of August compared to the beginning of the year, indicating robust economic support for dental services.

Nevertheless, the market encounters a significant challenge regarding the high costs of materials and fabrication associated with these procedures. Limited insurance reimbursement for indirect restorations compared to direct composites often places a financial burden on patients, thereby impeding widespread adoption and restricting market expansion in cost-sensitive demographics.

Key Market Drivers

The rising global prevalence of dental caries and tooth decay serves as a primary catalyst for the Global Dental Inlays and Onlays Market, creating an urgent need for durable restorative solutions that preserve natural tooth structure. As decay rates escalate, particularly among adult populations, there is an increasing requirement for indirect restorations that can address structural damage exceeding the capacity of direct fillings without necessitating full crowns. According to the National Centre for Social Research, December 2025, in the 'Adult Oral Health Survey 2023', 41% of adults presented with obvious signs of tooth decay upon examination, a figure that highlights a significant resurgence in untreated oral disease compared to prior decades. This growing burden of dental breakdown directly translates into higher procedural volumes for inlays and onlays, compelling clinicians to utilize biocompatible and long-lasting treatments to rehabilitate compromised dentition effectively.

Simultaneously, the rapid adoption of CAD/CAM and digital impression technologies is revolutionizing the fabrication and delivery of these restorations, significantly enhancing market expansion. These digital workflows enable clinicians to design and mill inlays and onlays chairside, reducing treatment time to a single visit while ensuring superior marginal fit and esthetics compared to traditional analog methods. According to Straumann Group, August 2025, in the 'Half-Year Report 2025', the company achieved organic revenue growth of 10.2% reaching CHF 1.3 billion, a performance driven substantially by the acceleration of its digital solutions and intraoral scanning business. This technological integration supports practice efficiency and revenue generation, allowing providers to navigate broader economic challenges. According to the American Dental Association, in 2025, approximately two-thirds of dental practices increased their fee schedules to counteract rising operational costs, indicating a market environment where advanced restorative care remains a priority despite economic pressures.

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Key Market Challenges

The high cost of materials and fabrication presents a substantial barrier to the growth of the Global Dental Inlays and Onlays Market. Unlike direct fillings, these indirect restorations require precise custom creation in dental laboratories, utilizing expensive resources such as high-grade ceramics, zirconia, or gold. This complex manufacturing process incurs significant overhead, which directly elevates the final treatment price for patients. According to the British Dental Association, in 2025, laboratory fees for dental procedures increased by 16.5%, drastically raising the operational costs for practices offering indirect restorations.

Consequently, these escalating expenses make inlays and onlays less accessible to price-sensitive demographics, leading many patients to opt for more affordable direct composites despite their lower longevity. This economic pressure is further compounded by limited insurance reimbursement, which frequently categorizes these treatments as major procedures involving high out-of-pocket costs. The disparity between rising fabrication expenses and stagnant insurance coverage creates a difficult financial environment that significantly impedes patient adoption, thereby hampering the broader expansion of the market.

Key Market Trends

The rising utilization of 3D printing for restoration fabrication is reshaping the market by offering a cost-effective alternative to subtractive milling. Unlike traditional CAD/CAM workflows that grind blocks, additive manufacturing reduces material waste and allows for the simultaneous production of multiple units, significantly lowering the cost per unit. This efficiency is driving higher adoption rates as evidenced by increased consumption of printing resins. According to Stratasys, May 2025, in the 'First Quarter 2025 Financial Results', the company reported a 7% sequential growth in recurring consumables revenue, demonstrating a sustained increase in the utilization of their additive manufacturing systems. This trend enables the rapid production of complex geometries for inlays and onlays with precision that rivals conventional methods.

The emergence of bioactive and smart dental materials is fundamentally changing restorative protocols by shifting focus from passive filling to active regeneration. These materials release ions to stimulate remineralization and form a hydroxyapatite-like seal at the margins, mitigating the risk of secondary caries. This biological interaction addresses the limitations of inert composites, offering superior longevity for indirect restorations. According to Pulpdent Corporation, December 2025, in the 'Press Release: Pulpdent Introduces ACTIVA BioACTIVE Bulk Flow', a new bioactive restorative demonstrated a 92% experimental survival rate in an ex vivo study, significantly outperforming traditional bulk-fill composites. Such material advancements are compelling practitioners to adopt bioactive solutions for ensuring the long-term health of restored teeth.

Segmental Insights

Based on comprehensive market analysis, the Direct segment currently stands as the fastest growing category within the Global Dental Inlays and Onlays Market. This accelerated expansion is primarily driven by the procedural efficiency of direct composite restorations, which typically require only a single patient visit compared to the multi-appointment requirements of indirect lab-fabricated alternatives. Dental professionals increasingly favor this segment for its ability to preserve natural tooth structure while offering substantial operational time savings. Furthermore, consistent improvements in composite resin technologies have enhanced the durability and aesthetic integration of direct applications, aligning with the rising patient demand for immediate and minimally invasive restorative treatments.

Regional Insights

North America maintains a dominant position in the Global Dental Inlays and Onlays Market, primarily driven by a well-established healthcare infrastructure and high patient awareness regarding oral restoration. The region benefits significantly from the concentration of key industry manufacturers and consistent consumer spending on dental care. Additionally, the rigorous quality standards enforced by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ensure the availability of verified products, which builds practitioner confidence. The continuous rise in the prevalence of dental caries across the United States and Canada further accelerates the adoption of these restorative treatments.

Recent Developments

• In February 2025, SprintRay Inc. expanded its digital dentistry portfolio by launching a new restorative material designed specifically for its Midas Digital Restoration Press. The company introduced SprintRay Crown HT, a high-translucency ceramic-filled resin formulated to replicate the light diffusion and aesthetics of natural teeth. This material received FDA clearance for the fabrication of definitive indirect restorations, including inlays, onlays, veneers, and single crowns. The product release was intended to support dental professionals in producing high-strength, permanent restorations chairside with significantly reduced fabrication times compared to traditional milling workflows.
• In October 2024, VITA Zahnfabrik extended its range of CAD/CAM restorative materials by introducing new shade options for its established ceramic block lines. The company added multiple new shades to the VITABLOCS TriLuxe forte and VITABLOCS Mark II series, which are widely utilized for the milling of inlays, onlays, and partial crowns. These fine-structure feldspar ceramic blocks were updated to provide clinicians and lab technicians with greater flexibility in color matching restorations to a patient's natural dentition. This product enhancement aimed to improve esthetic outcomes and streamline the shade selection process for indirect restorative procedures.
• In September 2024, Desktop Health announced a strategic collaboration to validate its Flexcera family of dental resins on LuxCreo’s 3D printing platforms. The partnership focused on expanding the accessibility of Flexcera Smile Ultra+, a nanoceramic material cleared for the fabrication of permanent restorations such as inlays, onlays, crowns, and bridges. By qualifying this material for use with LuxCreo’s printing ecosystem, the companies aimed to provide dental labs and practices with more hardware options for producing high-performance indirect restorations. The collaboration highlighted the growing trend of interoperability between proprietary materials and third-party printing systems in the dental market.
• In July 2024, SDI Limited launched Riva Cem Automix, a resin-modified glass ionomer luting cement featuring the company's proprietary ionglass technology. The new product was indicated for the permanent cementation of various indirect restorations, including metal, zirconia, and porcelain inlays, onlays, and crowns. Designed to offer superior bond strength and ease of use, the cement utilized an automix delivery system to ensure consistent mixing ratios and efficient application. The formulation was developed to release high levels of fluoride and provide varying chemical bonding properties, addressing the clinical need for durable and protective retention of fixed dental prosthetics.

Key Market Players

• 3M Company
• Institut Straumann AG
• Ivoclar Vivadent AG
• COLTENE Holding AG
• Dentsply Sirona Inc.
• Aspen Dental Management Inc
• National Dentex Corporation
• Smile Brands Inc
• Glidewell Laboratories
• Den-Mat Holdings LLC

By Material	By Type	By Region
Porcelain Zirconia Gold Composite	Direct and Indirect	North America Europe Asia Pacific South America Middle East & Africa

Report Scope:

In this report, the Global Dental Inlays and Onlays Market has been segmented into the following categories, in addition to the industry trends which have also been detailed below:

• Dental Inlays and Onlays Market, By Material:

• Porcelain
• Zirconia
• Gold
• Composite

• Dental Inlays and Onlays Market, By Type:

• Direct and Indirect

• Dental Inlays and Onlays Market, By Region:

• North America
• United States
• Canada
• Mexico
• Europe
• France
• United Kingdom
• Italy
• Germany
• Spain
• Asia Pacific
• China
• India
• Japan
• Australia
• South Korea
• South America
• Brazil
• Argentina
• Colombia
• Middle East & Africa
• South Africa
• Saudi Arabia
• UAE