A crown is a hollow cap that fits over a tooth, giving it strength and/or improving its appearance. The supporting tooth has to be reduced in size to make room for the crown. Crowns may be made from a variety of materials. Crowns are indicated for teeth, which are too extensively decayed, damaged or discoloured for treatment by other means. A well made crown or bridge, in a situation where the overall dental outlook is favourable, should last for 10 or more years.

A bridge is a way of replacing a missing tooth with a fixed solution. There are many different designs of bridges, but the most common is a fixed bridge, which is made by placing crowns on the teeth either side of the space, and then joining the crowns together by placing a solid crown in the space to replace the missing tooth. Because this type of bridge uses joined crowns, cleaning the teeth in the area will be more difficult. A well-designed bridge should allow effective daily cleaning.