The crown of a tooth is the piece which is visible in your mouth. An artificial crown will completely cover a weak tooth above the gum line and protect it.

Crowns can also be used to improve the appearance of misshapen or discoloured teeth. They can be made of metal or porcelain, or porcelain with metal inside for strength. To fit a crown we will shape your tooth so that when the artificial crown is fitted it will be the same size as a normal tooth.

The preparation time will depend on how damaged your tooth is and if it needs to be built up with a filling first. Your tooth may have to be root-filled first and sometimes the crown may have to be held in place by a peg in the root canal if a lot of your tooth is missing.

Once the preparation is complete we will use a soft, mouldable material to make exact 'impressions' of the tooth that is to be crowned and the nearby teeth. These impressions are used to make the crown the exact height and size needed. We may use a thin cord to hold your gum away from your tooth so that the impression is accurate around the edges.

We then put a temporary crown over your tooth until the permanent crown is made. You can chew on this temporary crown but it will not be as strong as the finished one.

Once your crown is fitted we will make small adjustments to ensure you can bite comfortably. Once fully adjusted it is glued into place.

Your crown is strong and should look and feel exactly like a natural tooth; its colour and shape is made to match that of your own teeth. Depending on the strength of the tooth underneath a crown can last for many years, particularly if you look after your mouth and teeth and the crown does not get accidentally damaged.