A dental crown, also called a cap, is placed over a tooth that requires protection (such as a tooth with a large filling or a tooth that has a root canal). The crown restores the tooth and protects it from further damage plus it looks and functions very much like a natural tooth.
For a crown you will require two appointments. At the first appointment you will be given a local anesthetic. The tooth that needs to be restored will be filed down and an impression/image will be taken. This impression/image is sent to a lab to fabricate the crown. Sometimes the dentist may also need to build up the tooth structure and/or place a post to help retain the core underneath the crown. A temporary crown will be placed to protect your tooth until you come back for the crown insert (please remember that a temporary crown does not have the same shape and colour as the final crown). At the second appointment the temporary crown will be removed, and the final crown will be placed and checked to make sure it is the right fit, shape, colour, and bite. If it is, the crown will be cemented in place.