Dental crowns, also referred to as “caps,” are often an excellent choice to repair a myriad of dental issues, such as:

• To restore a tooth that is badly decayed and can’t be repaired with a filling
• To repair a broken tooth
• To restore a badly worn tooth
• To protect a tooth that has undergone a root canal

Crowns are also used in other dental appliances, such as bridges and dental implants, for example.
If your dentist tells you that you need a crown, you’ll probably be asked to choose between a variety of different materials. Crowns can be made from metal, porcelain, or a combination of the two. Here are a few facts about each type of crown to help you decide which one is best for you.

• Metal crowns are usually available in gold, nickel, chromium or palladium. These are the strongest of any type of crown, although all crowns are quite durable. Metal crowns offer another advantage in that they can be attached to a very small amount of natural tooth. The obvious disadvantage of metal crowns is that they are very noticeable. If you need a crown on a back molar, metal might be the best choice since it can withstand heavy use and will be located out of sight in the back of your mouth.
• Crowns made from porcelain or ceramic are much less noticeable than metal crowns. In fact, they can be made to very closely match the color of your natural teeth. That makes these crowns an excellent choice for teeth located in the front of the mouth. Although these crowns are durable, they’re not as strong as metal crowns or crown made from a combination of porcelain and metal. Still, because your front teeth don’t have to withstand the heavy use of a back molar, for example, porcelain or ceramic crowns are often a good choice for front teeth.
• Porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns provide the best of both worlds: the metal underneath the porcelain layer provides an extremely strong and durable base for the crown, while the porcelain on top can be made to match the rest of your natural teeth. These crowns are good choices for any tooth, no matter where it’s located inside the mouth.

There are some price differences between the three types of crowns, although the difference is often quite small. For more information about the different types of crowns available, and to decide which one is the right choice for you, talk to your dentist.