ANSWERS

When is a lab-made provisional needed?

A lab-made provisional is needed when the case runs longer than three weeks, involves multiple units, requires occlusal vertical dimension changes, or restores anterior esthetics where shade and contour must be tested before the final. Full-arch implant cases, complex prosthodontic rehabilitations, and any restorati...

THE SHORT ANSWER

THE FULL PICTURE

Why it works this way

The three-week rule

Chairside provisionals (bis-acryl, PMMA from a putty matrix) hold up fine for 7 to 14 days. Past that, the material wears, margins open, and the patient comes back with sensitivity or a fractured temp. The general guideline most prosthodontic textbooks cite is the three-week threshold: if the patient will function on the provisional longer than 21 days, fabricate it in the lab from milled PMMA or printed resin.

More on this topic

What material does Dani Dental use for lab provisionals?

Milled PMMA for most single-unit and short-span provisionals, it mills fast, polishes to a high luster, and holds margins through months of function. For full-arch transitional prosthetics on All-on-X cases, we use a reinforced PMMA with embedded fiber for fracture resistance over the 3 to 6 month osseointegration window. Printed resin is available for short-term diagnostic provisionals where the patient needs a 24-hour turnaround.

How long does a lab-made provisional take to fabricate?

Single-unit milled PMMA provisionals ship in 3 to 5 business days from scan receipt. Multi-unit anterior provisionals take 5 to 7 business days because the technician hand-finishes the incisal characterization and verifies contour against the patient's approved digital wax-up. Full-arch transitional prosthetics for All-on-X cases ship in 7 to 10 business days, the workflow includes the verification jig, the try-in, and the final milled prosthetic.

Can the lab provisional design transfer to the final restoration?

Yes, that's the main argument for going lab-made on esthetic cases. The CAD file used to mill the provisional becomes the starting design for the final ceramic. Once the patient approves shape, length, and contour on the PMMA temp, the technician adapts that same geometry for the zirconia or lithium disilicate final. Nothing gets re-designed from scratch, the approved esthetic carries through to delivery.

GO DEEPER

Read the full guide on all procedures

This answer is one piece of a larger workflow. The pillar page covers materials, turnaround, and how we build the case to your specification.

Read the guide

REQUEST A DOCTOR KIT

Try the work before you switch.

Request a Doctor Kit and we'll mail RX pads, a shade guide, and pre-paid shipping for your first three cases. No call, no contract.

Request a Doctor Kit Talk to a technician