Crowns are an excellent option for addressing a wide variety of problems. They protect a weak tooth from decay and prevent it from breaking, restore a tooth that’s already broken or worn down, and cover a tooth that has a large filling when there isn’t much of the natural tooth remaining. Crowns are vital for covering and completing dental implants — metal posts that your dentist fits into your jaw when you have a missing tooth. Crowns also complete dental bridges, where they attach to the teeth on either side of a gap to secure the new tooth in place.