Sometimes called caps, crowns completely cover a tooth, restoring a normal shape and appearance. You may need a crown to:

• Cover a misshapen or discolored tooth
• Protect a weak tooth
• Restore a broken or worn tooth
• Cover a tooth with a large filling
• Hold a dental bridge in place
• Cover a dental implant
• Cover a tooth that’s had a root canal procedure

Crowns can be made from metal, porcelain fused to metal, resin, or ceramic materials. Permanent crowns can have a long life if you take good care of them.

Bridges

Sometimes called a fixed partial denture, bridges are used to replace missing teeth with artificial teeth. Bridges can be made of gold, alloys, porcelain, or a combination. Dentists anchor them onto surrounding teeth after preparing them for crowns. Then a false tooth joins to the crowns and the bridge is cemented onto the prepared teeth. Only a dentist can remove a fixed bridge.
The success of your bridge depends upon its foundation. So, remember that oral hygiene to keep remaining teeth healthy is particularly important if you wear a bridge.