How are lab-fabricated provisionals milled?

The workflow starts with a digital file, either an intraoral scan from the chairside scanner or a CBCT-derived design file. A technician maps the occlusal scheme, emergence profile, and contour in CAD software before releasing the file to the mill. This step matters more than most referring doctors realize: a provisional that misrepresents the planned final contour adds a remake cycle to an already compressed restorative timeline.

Material selection drives the result. PMMA pucks offer better wear resistance and translucency for longer-term provisionals (4-12 weeks of wear), while bis-acrylic blanks cut faster and cost less for short-term temporization (under 2 weeks). For implant-level provisionals, screw-retained PMMA is the category standard because it allows retrieval without destructive removal. Stock selection, thickness, and shade all feed into the CAD nest before the mill starts.

Turnaround on a lab-milled provisional at Dani Dental runs 1-2 business days from a clean scan file. That timeline holds for single-unit anteriors and for full-arch interim prosthetics. Fit issues at try-in almost always trace back to scan quality or an incomplete bite record, not the mill itself. The technician on your case reviews the file before milling and flags anything that would cost you chair time.