What is crowning a tooth?

Crowning a tooth is a common dental procedure where a dentist places a cap or crown over a damaged, decayed, weak, or aesthetically flawed tooth to restore its shape, strength, size, and appearance. A dental crown covers the entire visible part of the tooth above the gum line and is cemented into place, acting like a protective helmet. Crowning is needed when a tooth has a large cavity too big for a filling, after a root canal because the tooth becomes brittle, when a tooth is cracked or severely worn, to hold a dental bridge in place, to cover a dental implant, or for cosmetic improvement of discolored or misshapen teeth. The process usually takes two visits, first the dentist numbs the area, shaves down the tooth to make room for crown, takes impressions, and places a temporary crown, then a lab makes the permanent crown from porcelain, ceramic, metal, or porcelain fused to metal, and second visit the permanent crown is cemented. A crowned tooth can last 10 to 15 years or more with good care, but still needs brushing and flossing to prevent decay at margin.