In the past, if a patient came to see a dentist with a severely broken or decayed tooth, they would repair it using a dental crown. This restoration would often be made of silver or gold, and while it helped strengthen the tooth and save it from extraction, it looked anything but natural. Thankfully, dental materials have advanced by leaps and bounds over the decades, enabling dentists to provide lifelike crowns made of 100% white porcelain. Now, in addition to fixing damaged teeth, crowns can also be used to correct common cosmetic imperfections to create a more beautiful and confident smile.