A temporary denture is referred to as a provisional restoration. It serves as a protection of the tooth until the final restoration.
What is a temporary restoration?
A temporary restoration is used to prepare dentures, inlays, crowns, bridges or implants. A temporary restoration is a dental prosthesis that is temporarily placed. In this way, the tooth can be protected until further restoration. In addition, the temporary denture serves as a temporary replacement for a tooth gap. A temporary restoration is used to prepare dentures, inlays, crowns, bridges or implants. In contrast to permanent dentures, the use of a temporary denture is only for a transitional period. Thus, permanent dentures later take the place of the provisional, resulting in the completion of dental treatment.
Forms, types and types
Dentists distinguish between different types when it comes to a temporary restoration. For example, there are short-term and long-term temporaries. Short-term temporaries can already be made in the mouth. Long-term temporaries, on the other hand, require a special impression to be taken in a dental laboratory. It is used when the healing or regeneration process takes a long time. A long-term temporary restoration can also be used to make occlusion or planned changes to the jaw relationship. Furthermore, the dentist can observe over a longer period of time whether the therapy is progressing successfully. Only if this is the case, the final restoration is applied. A long-term temporary restoration can also be useful after root canal treatment or surgery to bridge the healing phase. This makes it easier for the bone and soft tissue to regenerate. Various options are available for treating tooth gaps with a temporary restoration. There are temporary bridges for neighboring teeth that require crowning, steel-based clasp dentures, simple plastic-based clasp dentures, so-called Maryland bridges, which are adhesive bridges, and temporary implants. A simple clasp denture is a denture that the patient can remove. The denture has simple wire clasps and a plastic base that rests on the gums. The cost of a simple clasp denture turns out to be inexpensive, but its wearing comfort is poor. Likewise, the clasp retention is not considered optimal. In contrast to the simple clasp denture, the clasp denture with cast steel is equipped with a framework made of steel, which ensures a relatively stable fit. An adhesive bridge is made in a laboratory and has so-called wings that are used to attach it to the adjacent teeth. It is suitable primarily for the anterior region. In case of complete toothlessness, a full denture or a temporary implant are used.
Structure, function and mode of action
Long-term temporaries are usually fabricated from a variety of acrylics. These include glass fiber-reinforced composites, polymethymethacrylates (PMMA), and bis-GMA composites. If the temporary restoration has a small circumference, it can be fabricated directly in the mouth with the aid of an impression taken in advance. After preparation, the dentist fills the impression on the milled tooth with resin and places it in the oral cavity. This creates a hollow mold in which the acrylic can quickly harden like a crown. The temporary crown is finished with fine polishers and burs. As a rule, the fabrication of a long-term temporary crown takes place in a dental laboratory. For this purpose, a working model is first made of plaster. The dental technician then applies the resin to the model of the prepared tooth. For stability reasons, a steel framework can also be incorporated into the temporary. Finally, the acrylic is chemically cured by exposure to temperature and pressure. After milling and polishing, the long-term temporary is ready and can be used in the dental practice. Zinc oxide-eugenol cements are usually used as temporary luting materials. However, if the cementation is carried out using the adhesive technique, a eugenol-free cement is required. For optimum function, the temporary restoration must meet a number of requirements. These include compatibility, oral stability, abrasion resistance, color stability and hygiene.The ability to withstand conventional mechanical stresses such as speaking, chewing and biting is considered particularly important. In addition, the adaptability of a long-term temporary restoration to the progressing treatment success is important. During the fabrication of the temporary, the dentist must also pay attention to the patient’s compatibility with the material. Otherwise there is a risk of unpleasant irritation or even a rejection reaction during wear. Despite all the effort, however, a temporary restoration never turns out to be as functional and comfortable as the final denture.
Medical and health benefits
Temporaries are highly important for the patient’s dental health. For example, they ensure the patient’s normal eating and speaking during the extended treatment period. At the same time, they have a preventive effect on malocclusions of adjacent teeth, due to gaps between the teeth. If the teeth have already been ground or ground down by the dentist, the temporary denture protects them from heat, cold, chemical irritants such as sugar or acid, friction, pressure and harmful bacteria. Sometimes the transitional phase also serves to build up the jawbone as part of an orthodontic correction. But they also play an important role in aesthetics. Thus, the treatment of the teeth is not visible to outsiders by wearing a temporary. Temporary dentures are often used when wound healing or the healing process of an implant is still in progress. If, for example, a root canal treatment is performed under an artificial tooth crown, the dentist first places a temporary denture after removing the crown. Only when the inflammation has completely healed can the crown be reattached. While short-term temporaries usually remain in the oral cavity for no longer than two to four weeks, long-term temporaries can be worn for several months.
