When Dr. David Rice of David Rice DDS in Elgin repairs a tooth that has decay or damage, the procedure chosen often depends on the location of the problem. (We’re talking tooth-specific locale here; it doesn’t matter whether you live in St. Charles, Elgin, or Barlett, IL.) If there is a chip, crack or cavity on the biting surface of a tooth, an onlay or inlay is often used to restore the tooth.