A crown is a full covering that protects a damaged tooth. A crown can be part of a bridge or a dental implant. A patient can choose porcelain dental crowns, or crowns made of metal or resin. Crowns can also be used to change the aesthetics of a tooth or teeth by changing the shape and colour.
If the crown is needed to protect a tooth, the dentist files down the tooth or fills it up if it is broken in order to allow it to support the crown. When the tooth has been prepared, the dentist makes an impression of it and the adjacent teeth and sends the impression to a dental lab. While the new crown is being made, the dentist fits the patient with a temporary crown.
The patient returns to the dentist when the permanent crown is ready. The temporary crown is removed, and the permanent crown is positioned and secured with dental cement.