Sometimes called caps, crowns completely cover a tooth, restoring a normal shape and appearance. You may need a crown to:

• Cover a misshapen or discolored tooth
• Protect a weak tooth
• Restore a broken or worn tooth
• Cover a tooth with a large filling
• Hold a dental bridge in place
• Cover a dental implant
• Cover a tooth that’s had a root canal procedure

Crowns can be made from metal, porcelain fused to metal, resin, or ceramic materials. Because crowns are costly, dentists usually suggest them only when other procedures can’t produce a pleasing result.

Sometimes a dentist can make an in-office same-day crown, or a temporary crown. But it takes more than one visit to receive a permanent crown. The dentist prepares the tooth for the crown, makes molds of the tooth, provides you with a temporary crown, and then places the permanent crown at a separate time.

Permanent crowns can have a long life if you take good care of them.