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CHAPTER VII

THE GOLD AND PORCELAIN INLAY

An inlay may be defined as a material, usually gold or
porcelain, which has been so constructed out of the mouth and
later cemented in one piece into the prepared cavity of a tooth,
that it will perform the required functions of a filling.
The use of the porcelain inlay in dentistry has been largely
discontinued since the marked improvements made in the

silicate cements. There are a few operators who are still
enthusiastic about the material, and who are obtaining
splendid results with it, but it is felt that with the improve-
ments which will undoubtedly continue to develop in the

manufacture and working of the silicates, porcelain art in
dentistry as far as the inlay is concerned, is largely a matter
of past history.
Fused porcelain is still of great value in the construction
of the jacket and other forms of crown, as well as of certain
types of bridge work, and will probably continue so for a long

time. The difficulty of obtaining proper shades, as well as
the time and great skill required in manipulation are the
principal drawbacks to its use.
The modern cast gold dental inlay was devised by Dr.
William H. Taggart, of Chicago, and introduced into dentistry

in 1907. Before that time, however, other methods of
constructing gold inlays were in more or less limited use in
dentistry, but were largely unsuccessful, on account of the
crudeness of the procedures followed and the poor results
obtained. Although the profession is greatly indebted to Dr.
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