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Completed provisional. |
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| Space Maintenance |
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Proximal contacts (Figure 2) – A provisional crown or bridge should exhibit good contact with adjacent tooth structure to prevent tooth migration, maintain interproximal tissue health and keep the proper space maintenance for a laboratory fabricated crown or bridge. If the space is not maintained, the final restoration may not fit due to movement of the adjacent teeth. |
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Figure 2. Proximal contacts.
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Figure 3. Occlusal contacts.
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Occlusal contacts (Figure 3)– A provisional restoration must maintain good occlusion and occlusal contact with the opposing dentition to keep the opposing teeth from supra-erupting. If the opposing teeth supra-erupt, the final restoration will not fit correctly (the occlusion of the crown will be too high). |
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| Smooth polish |
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Provisional restorations need a smooth surface finish to promote good gingival health and resist plaque buildup. |
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| Proper Emergence Profile |
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The natural emergence profile of a tooth deflects food away from the gingival tissue (Figure 4) so that soft tissues are not harmed by mastication (i.e. chewing). A provisional restoration must also provide an appropriate emergence profile. |
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Figure 4 . Proper emergence profile. |
Figure 5. Poor marginal contour. |
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| Adequate Marginal Seal |
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A sound margin between natural tooth structure and a provisional restoration is important because it eliminates microleakage, helps to minimize plaque retention and promotes gingival healing. Provisional restorations that are over-contoured (Figure 5, arrow A.), or overhang the finish line of the preparation (Figure 5, arrow B.) may result in plaque buildup and, consequently, gingival recession. |
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