ANSWERS

What is a lab-fabricated provisional?

A lab-fabricated provisional is a temporary crown, bridge, or full-arch restoration milled or printed at a dental lab from a digital scan or impression, rather than made chairside. It uses PMMA or composite materials, fits more precisely than chairside temps, and serves as a wear-test prototype before the final cera...

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Lab-fabricated vs chairside provisionals

A chairside provisional is the bis-acryl temp a dentist mills on a matrix in 15 minutes between prep and final. A lab-fabricated provisional is a different category: the lab receives the intraoral scan or PVS impression, designs the temporary in CAD, and mills it from a PMMA puck or prints it in a temporary resin. The result fits the prep line within roughly 50 microns, holds shade through the wear period, and survives weeks or months of function. The American College of Prosthodontists describes provisional restorations as a diagnostic step, not just a placeholder, and lab-fabricated versions are what make that diagnostic role possible.

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How long does a PMMA provisional last in the mouth?

A milled PMMA provisional is rated for 6 to 12 months of intraoral function, which covers the typical full-arch healing and tissue maturation window. Printed temporary resins are rated shorter, generally 3 to 6 months, depending on the resin system. For anterior esthetic wear-tests the provisional is usually in for 2 to 4 weeks before the final ceramic is delivered, well inside both material windows. Dani Dental specs PMMA for any provisional expected to function past 90 days.

Can the final crown copy the shape of an approved provisional?

Yes, and this is the main reason to use a lab-fabricated provisional on anterior cases. The CAD file used to mill the provisional is preserved. Once the patient and dentist approve the shape, contour, and incisal length, the technician copies that geometry into the final ceramic design. The patient gets a final that looks identical to the temp they already approved. At Dani Dental the provisional CAD and final CAD live on the same case file, named to the same technician.

What does a lab provisional cost compared to a chairside temp?

A chairside bis-acryl temp costs the practice roughly 5 to 15 dollars in material plus 15 to 20 minutes of chair time. A lab-milled PMMA provisional runs 75 to 200 dollars per unit depending on complexity, with no chair time spent fabricating. On full-arch cases the lab provisional is 800 to 1,500 dollars but replaces hours of chairside conversion work. The math favors the lab provisional on any case where the final is expected to take longer than 2 weeks or carries esthetic risk.

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