A cover made for one tooth, fitted over what is left of it.
The tooth is shaped down so the crown has room to sit, and we take a scan or a mould of it. That goes to a laboratory, where a technician makes the crown and matches it to the teeth either side.
At the second appointment the temporary comes off and the crown is tried in before it is fixed. This is the point to say if the shape or the color is not right, because after it is cemented it is a much bigger job to change.
We will always tell you when a large filling would do the same job for less.
The material. A crown on a back tooth can be a metal-backed one; a front tooth is usually all ceramic, which takes longer to make and to match.
You wear a temporary crown. It is fine to eat on, but it is fixed lightly on purpose so it can come off easily, so treat it gently.
This is informational; consult your dentist for diagnosis and treatment.