Dental crowns (sometimes referred to as dental caps) are single unit covers that are placed over heavily broken down, filled or root treated teeth. They look and feel just like real teeth.  A crown wraps around the tooth just like a hat wraps around a head, thus strengthening the underlying tooth structure by holding it all together.

Dental crowns can also cosmetically enhance the appearance of a tooth, as they are able to cover colour irregularities. Crowns are made in a dental laboratory by a qualified technician/ceramist who uses moulds or digital scans of the patient’s teeth taken by the dentist.

Dental crowns can be made from a variety of different materials, depending on the tooth involved, its position in the mouth, and the patient’s preferences.  These materials include zirconia, porcelain, lithium disilicate, porcelain bonded to metal (this combines the strength of metal with the natural appearance of tooth coloured porcelain), or even gold alloy.