What are the alternatives to a dental crown?

There is no other treatment that can do the job of a crown - so there isn’t a direct alternative. The only other option which could come close would be a dental filling, which involves some compromise. For example, if a tooth breaks, usually the options are a filling or dental crown. However if the tooth is badly damaged and has had root canal treatment, a filling will not hold for long and is likely to fail. A temporary filling may be used as a short-term measure, but in the long term, a crown is still necessary.