Over time, you may find that one or more of your teeth has been broken, worn down, or partially destroyed by decay. Make time, when this happens, for a simple fix—a crown. A crown can be used to restore your tooth to its original, or perhaps to an even a more appealing, shape and color. A crown will also reinforce and strengthen your weakened tooth, resulting not just in a better look, but also a more functional one.

A crown or an only (otherwise known as a partial crown) will be required when the tooth has become so weakened that it cannot reliably hold a filling. A crown is, essentially, a cap for your tooth that is made of porcelain, metal, or a combination of ceramic and metal. The cap will be sealed to your tooth, covering the area above the gum line that is visible to the naked eye; it will become, in effect, the tooth’s new outer surface. Ceramic crowns are more popular and more frequently used than metal crowns. This is due to their fantastic aesthetics and excellent strength.

Getting a crown involves an easy but multi-step process. First, at the dentist’s office, your dentist will prepare the tooth that is slated to receive the crown—the tooth will, at that point, look like an upside down dixie cup. The dentist will then take impressions your teeth. The impressions will be sent to a lab where a dental laboratory technician will carefully examine the details of your bite. The technician will sculpt a crown that is custom-made for you, ensuring that, once your dentist seals it to your tooth, your bite and jaw movements will function just like normal.