Dental inlay cutting. (Image 2 of 3). Macrophotograph of a dental inlay being cut in a miniature milling machine. Inlays are used to replace badly decayed areas of tooth. To fit an inlay, a cavity is cut into the damaged tooth and the exact dimensions of the cavity determined using an oral camera. This data is then fed into a milling machine which cuts a perfectly fitting inlay from a ceramic block. This machine, which is manufactured by Sirona, was photographed in a plant in Germany. To view a computer graphic of the tooth the dental inlay is being cut for see image M782/145, while to view a magnified image of the finished inlay see M782/147.