A crown, also called a cap, is a custom-made covering for the top part of the tooth that is made to look and function like the natural crown of your tooth. Crowns are used on teeth that have large, existing fillings that are faulty. Crowns fit over individual teeth like a thimble goes over a finger. Crowns give the tooth strength when the existing, natural tooth structure is not sufficient to hold a filling. Crowns may also be used to protect and strengthen fractured or broken teeth.

• Zirconia Crowns are the very state of the art in crown and bridge technology in dentistry. Lava (3M Product) and Procera (Noble Biocare) are the two most popular brands of Zirconia crowns. Both are computer CAD designed and manufactured to the model fabricated by the dentist. Both have absolutely no metal in them, and are as beautifully transluscent to light as is natural tooth enamel. Lava crowns have greater compressive strength while Procera crowns have superior esthetics.

• Stainless steel crowns-pre-made crowns that are used on children and teen-agers until the tooth is finished erupting into the mouth. This is NOT considered a permanent restoration for adults.

• Porcelain crowns are custom made crowns made of porcelain in a color to match your natural teeth. These crowns can be made of all porcelain or porcelain fused to a metal substructure. The metal used can be non-precious, semi-precious (50% gold) or precious (80% gold).

• Gold crowns are custom made crowns from 18 karat dental gold. The wearability and fit of gold crowns is still unmat