FAQ
What materials are used for milled provisionals?
A straight answer first, then the context behind it, from the technicians who do the work.
THE SHORT ANSWER
Milled provisionals are most commonly fabricated from PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate) blocks, available in monochromatic or multilayer shaded blanks. Some workflows use bis-acryl composite discs for short-term single-unit cases. PMMA is the clinical standard for full-arch implant provisionals because it combines adequate flexural strength (roughly 90-120 MPa), easy intraoral adjustment, and polish retention over a 3-6 month provisionalization period.
THE CONTEXT
What sits behind it
For implant cases, material selection depends on the expected wear period and the arch being restored. Full-arch screw-retained provisionals for All-on-X cases almost always use multilayer PMMA, which allows the technician to build in gingival gradient shading without hand-layering composite. Single-tooth or short-span provisionals for conventional crown preparations can be milled from monochromatic PMMA or a bis-acryl disc when the provisionalization window is under 8 weeks.
CAD/CAM-milled PMMA outperforms chair-side bis-acryl in marginal accuracy and surface hardness. A milled PMMA provisional seats with a consistent fit that reduces cement microleakage risk and simplifies the final impression or scan at the reseat appointment. That margin consistency matters most on posterior implant cases where the gingival architecture is still maturing around the abutment.
Dani Dental mills provisionals from pre-shaded PMMA blanks calibrated to the same digital file that will drive the final restoration. The referring dentist receives a provisional that matches the planned emergence profile, contour, and occlusal scheme, so the transition appointment is a confirmation, not a redesign. Turnaround for milled PMMA provisionals on most cases is 3-5 business days from an approved design file.
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What materials are used for milled provisionals?
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This question is one piece of a larger workflow. The pillar page covers materials, turnaround, and how we build the case to your specification.
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