What Is The Best Temporary Crown Material? - Stomadent Dental Lab

Convenience, aesthetics, and effectiveness are key factors to consider when it comes to choosing provisional restorative dental materials. The best temporary crown material will allow you to create an aesthetically-pleasing, functional interim restoration that protects the tooth from both chemical and thermal trauma while allowing the patient to smile without a gap. Ideally, you want a temporary crown to feel comfortable to the patient while staying in place until the permanent crown can be manufactured and delivered. Most temporary crowns are made from relatively weak materials, such as poly-ethyl methacrylate or bis-acrylics, and should be treated with care. When choosing a cost-effective material for the best temporary crown, be sure to consider one with a shade system that works well for the majority of patients in your practice.

What Are Temporary Dental Crowns?

A temporary dental crown is a tooth-shaped cap placed over a natural tooth or implant to protect it while a permanent crown is being fabricated. These crowns are typically made from acrylic or metallic materials and are designed to be worn briefly. 

They are secured in place using temporary cement, also known as dental crown glue or tooth crown glue. Temporary crowns serve to restore the shape, size, appearance, and strength of teeth that may have suffered damage. By acting as a protective barrier, they ensure that the underlying tooth remains safe from further harm until the permanent crown is ready.

How Long Do Temporary Crowns Last?

Temporary crowns typically last between a few days to a few weeks, depending on the material used and the specific dental procedure. Most temporary crowns are designed to protect the prepared tooth while waiting for a permanent crown to be fabricated, and they are not as durable as their long-term counterparts. 

With proper care—such as avoiding hard, sticky, or chewy foods and maintaining good oral hygiene—a temporary crown can last up to four to six weeks if necessary. However, since they are made from acrylic or composite resin and attached with temporary cement, they are more prone to wear, loosening, or breaking. If a temporary crown falls out or gets damaged, it’s important to contact a dentist promptly to avoid complications like tooth sensitivity or shifting of the adjacent teeth.

Benefits of Temporary Crowns

Temporary crowns offer several significant benefits, including:

• Protection of the Underlying Tooth: They shield the tooth from bacteria and decay, preventing further damage.
• Restoration of Tooth Shape and Size: They help maintain the tooth’s original shape and size, ensuring proper alignment and spacing.
• Normal Chewing and Speaking: They allow patients to chew and speak normally, maintaining daily functionality.
• Prevention of Gum Sensitivity: They help prevent gum sensitivity and inflammation by covering exposed areas.
• Aesthetic Appeal: They provide a natural-looking smile, allowing patients to maintain their appearance while waiting for the permanent crown.

Temporary crowns are also used to cover implants, teeth with root canal treatments, or repaired teeth. They can be applied to a single tooth or used as a bridge over multiple implants or teeth, ensuring comprehensive dental care.

What Temporary Dental Crowns Material to Use for Patients?

Temporary crowns fall into one of three categories based on how they are made: direct, indirect, and pre-formed. The best temporary crown material depends on the specific application and its intended use. Let’s discuss some of the choices available to the dentist when it comes to temporary crowns. The process of making a permanent crown takes several weeks, during which a temporary crown is essential to maintain functionality and aesthetics.

Direct Fabricated Crowns

Designed to last 2 to 3 weeks, direct provisional materials are used to fabricate the restoration directly on the crown preparation in the patient’s mouth at chairside. When a natural tooth requires a permanent crown, a direct fabricated temporary crown can serve as an effective placeholder. Direct application materials can be further subdivided into two broad categories: tried and true acrylics and newer, self-curing composite resins.

Acrylics such as polymethyl methacrylate or polyethyl methacrylate have a long history in dentistry, and most dentists are very familiar with their use. They are generally considered to be the standard go-to provisional materials for in-office use. Advantages to acrylic temporary crowns include the ability to customize, polish, and smooth the crown right in the dental office. It is also possible to characterize the acrylic for a more life-like coloration and appearance. Acrylics offer reasonable strength and are easily repaired. Disadvantages include color changes that occur rapidly over a period of weeks, bad odor produced during fabrication, heat released as the acrylic hardens, and shrinkage during curing, which causes the marginal integrity to be compromised. In addition, some patients have become sensitized to the monomer and will experience allergic stomatitis.

Bis-composite resins lack the bad taste and smell associated with acrylics. Because they do not generate heat during curing, they are less likely to have an adverse effect on the pulp or the surrounding gingiva. Since there is minimal shrinkage with polymerization, it is easier to obtain good marginal adaptation. Resins possess translucency, opalescence, and fluorescence, allowing for a more natural look. They are color stable and are available in a variety of shades, including bleaching shades. One downside is the higher material cost when compared with acrylics.

Indirect Laboratory-Processed Provisional Crown Materials

For cases where long-term temporization is necessary, you want a provisional crown that provides consistent, high-quality aesthetics and is more resistant to wear. These crowns are crucial during the waiting period for permanent dental crowns, ensuring that the patient’s tooth remains protected and functional. Indirect provisional materials are used in the dental laboratory to fabricate a temporary restoration from an impression or model. 

In the lab, it is much easier to perfect the margins, occlusion, and interproximal contacts for better fit, appearance, and cleanability. With the advent of CAD/CAM technology, it is now possible for the laboratory to manufacture a transitional crown from Temporary CB Resin that is especially designed for 3D printing applications. 

The indirect fabrication method requires advanced planning to allow time for the crown to be made remotely. Having the lab make the temporary also adds an additional cost to the overall fee for the final restoration. In certain circumstances, the stability and durability of a laboratory-manufactured temporary crown may give you peace of mind that more than outweighs its cost.

The Growth of 3D-Printed Provisionals and In-Office Milling

As digital dentistry has advanced, many practices now chairside fabricate temporary crowns using in-office CAD/CAM systems. Using milled composite blocks, these systems enable quick, precise, and aesthetically beautiful temporary restorations.

Dental labs can now use cutting-edge materials like Temporary CB Resin to 3D print temporary solutions for longer-term or more complicated requirements. These printed crowns are a great option for transitional restorations that will be in use for longer than four to six weeks because of their exceptional durability, color matching, and marginal integrity.

Pre-formed Polycarbonate Crowns

Pre-formed provisional crowns from a stock supply kit are adapted and relined at chairside for a quick and effective temporary crown. Pre-formed polycarbonate crowns are effective temporary solutions while waiting for the permanent restoration to be completed. The pros of making a temporary crown this way are that stock crowns come pre-formed with anatomy and are ready to shape and customize to the tooth preparation. 

Some of the cons of using polycarbonate crowns include maintaining an inventory of crowns for each tooth in a variety of shades. Pre-formed temporaries can also be more complex to trim, fit, and adjust for proper marginal adaptation and occlusion when compared to making a temporary crown from scratch.

Best Temporary Crown Materials by Clinical Scenario

When choosing a provisional material, it’s important to match the characteristics of each material to the patient’s specific clinical needs. Here’s a quick guide: