Crown procedures are done on teeth for functional and esthetic reasons. They are commonly done in situations where too much tooth structure has been compromised (due to decay or fracture) for a filling to adequately restore a tooth. Offering structural strength, crowns can be used to treat cracked tooth syndrome (pain on biting due to tooth fracture) and can restore compromised teeth back to normal function. They can also be done for esthetic reasons to improve the shape, alignment and shade of teeth.
There are many types of crowns including all-porcelain, all-metal and hybrid crowns. Traditionally, all-metal crowns offered the best strength characteristics but poor esthetics . The reverse was true in the past of all-porcelain crowns. Fortunately recent strength improvements in porcelain materials have made it possible for most crowns to be done in full porcelain satisfying both strength and esthetic requirements. The final material selection though is still case dependent and patient dependent. In general, crowns are a long-lasting and reliable way to treat compromised teeth.