A crown is a cap placed over a tooth and held in place by dental adhesive or cement. Crowns are fabricated in the laboratory using a variety of different materials including plastic, ceramic, metal alloys or zirconia. These materials make it possible to maximise strength and simulate the appearance and colour of natural teeth.

Crowns are used for several reasons:

• As a protective cover for badly decayed or fractured teeth
• As a permanent restoration for teeth with large fillings
• To correct minor problems in natural teeth (e.g. spacing, irregular shape, discolouration)