As a dentist, when you have to choose the right provisional restorative dental materials for your patients, factors like effectiveness, aesthetics, and convenience stand paramount.
The field of modern dentistry has experienced major advancements recently. Due to this, patients are able to leverage dental crowns to fix teeth that are stained, decayed, or broken. This form of dental restoration appears normal while completely transforming an individual’s appearance.
When dentists prepare a tooth for a crown, a temporary crown is usually cemented in place such that a permanent one can be designed in a dental lab. To ensure the overall success of dental restorations, it is imperative for dentists to be aware of different temporary crown materials in modern dentistry.
What is the Need for a Temporary Crown?
Whether you choose temporary crowns or permanent crowns, there are several reasons why this procedure is performed.
A crown can be used to prevent the cracking or breakage of the old tooth. Moreover, it can also help in protecting a dental implant (previously installed) or simply improving your overall smile. The crown can be placed as is. Or, a root canal can be performed to prepare the tooth.
What is the Best Temporary Crown Material Used by Dentists?
With the help of the best temporary crown material, dentists can deliver a functional and aesthetically appealing interim restoration that offers protection to the tooth from both thermal and chemical trauma. Moreover, it also allows a patient to smile without any gaps.
Ideally, as a dentist, you would want the temporary crown to feel comfortable to the patient while being in place until the permanent crown is designed. Typically, most temporary crowns are designed out of relatively weaker materials, like bis-acrylics or poly-ethyl methacrylate. Therefore, they need proper care and treatment. As you choose the best temp crown material for your patients, it is recommended that you choose one with a proper shade system that functions well for most of them.
Types of Temp Crown Materials to Be Used for Patients
Temporary crowns are usually categorized into three types, depending on how they are designed: direct, pre-formed, and indirect. The best temp crown material depends on the particular application and its intended use. Here are some of the leading choices available when you wish to use temp dental crowns:
1. Direct Fabricated Crowns
These crowns are designed to last around 2-3 weeks. Direct provisional crown materials are used for fabricating the restorations directly on the crown preparation. Direct crown materials are further divided into sub-categories: true acrylics and self-curing composite resins.
Tested forms of acrylics like polymethyl methacrylate or polymethyl methacrylate have long been used in the field of dentistry. Therefore, most dentists are already aware of this form. For in-office use, these are regarded as the standard provisional materials. Benefits of using acrylic temp crowns include the ability to polish, customize, and smooth the crown in the dental office. It is also possible to customize the acrylic for a more life-like appearance and colouration.
Acrylic materials are easily repaired and deliver ample strength. Some of the disadvantages of using this material are color changes over a specific period of time, production of bad odor at the time of fabrication, and shrinkage at the time of curing.
On the other hand, bis-composite resin does not feature any bad odor. As no heat is generated at the time of curing, they will not have any adverse effects on the pulp. Moreover, with polymerization, there is minimal shrinkage. Therefore, it is easier to ensure effective marginal adaptation. Resin features opalescence, translucency, and fluorescence to impart a more natural look. The main disadvantage is that they are costlier than acrylic versions.
2. Pre-formed Polycarbonate Crowns
These provisional crowns are available from a dedicated stock supply kit. These are adapted and placed at the chairside of the patient’s mouth to ensure an effective temp crown. Stock crowns are available as pre-formed models with proper anatomy. Moreover, they can be shaped and customized as per the tooth preparation. One of the benefits of using polycarbonate crowns is that you can maintain an inventory of crowns for each tooth in different shades. Moreover, pre-formed crowns can fit and adjust for maximum marginal adaptation in comparison to making a crown from scratch.
3. Indirect Lab-Processed Interim Crowns
In cases wherein long-term temporization is required, you can consider installing a provisional crown that delivers high-quality, consistent aesthetics while being more resistant to wear. These crown materials are used in the dental lab to ensure a temporary restoration from a model.
In the lab setting, improving the occlusion, margins, and interproximal contacts is easier to deliver a better fit, cleanability, and appearance. With the use of revolutionary CAD/CAM technology, labs can design a transitional crown from Temporary CB Resin. This crown is particularly designed for 3D printing.
The method of indirect crown fabrication requires advanced planning to ensure that the crown is made on time. When the lab prepares the temp crown, extra expenses are added to the final restoration process. In specific conditions, the durability and stability of lab-designed temp crowns are much better.
Which Option to Choose
Not all crown options will work on all conditions. It is especially true when you wish to offer your patients the best temp crown material. When your patient requires advanced aesthetics for an extended period of time, the best solution can be analyzed by discussing the option with the patient.