Marginal accuracy of provisional restorations fabricated by different techniques

Area of Science:

• Dental Materials Science
• Prosthodontics
• Restorative Dentistry

Background:

• Accurate marginal fit of provisional restorations is crucial for long-term success.
• Fabrication techniques can influence the marginal discrepancy of provisional restorations.
• Evaluating different methods is essential to optimize clinical outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the marginal discrepancies of provisional restorations fabricated using various techniques.
• To identify the most accurate method for fabricating provisional restorations.
• To assess the influence of coolant application on marginal fit.

Main Methods:

• Provisional restorations were fabricated on a cast metal model.
• Marginal discrepancies were measured for six fabrication techniques: Control, In Situ, Removal, On/Off, Reline, and Indirect.
• Statistical analysis was performed to compare mean marginal discrepancies.

Main Results:

• The Reline technique exhibited the lowest mean marginal discrepancy (0.074 mm).
• The On/Off technique (0.601 mm) and Removal technique (0.403 mm) showed significantly greater discrepancies than most other methods.
• No significant differences were found between Control (0.228 mm), In Situ (0.196 mm), Reline (0.074 mm), and Indirect (0.161 mm) techniques.

Conclusions:

• The Reline technique is superior for achieving minimal marginal discrepancies in provisional restorations.
• Techniques involving repeated removal and replacement (On/Off, Removal) result in inferior marginal fit.
• The In Situ technique with coolant shows comparable results to the direct fabrication method without coolant.