Fixed provisional restorations for extended prosthodontic treatment

During extensive and extended prosthodontic treatment, there is need for a durable esthetic fixed provisional restoration that can be easily modified as treatment is completed and that is cost-effective. The needed strength of provisional restorations can be underestimated, and the management of complex treatment is then more difficult and the prosthetic results less predictable. Knowledge of the criteria for treatment restorations and the adequacies of their construction is essential for the prevention of catastrophic failures, patient management problems, and compromised results. Many times in complex prosthodontic treatment, changes are needed in esthetics, the plane of occlusion, incisal edge position, lip support, and type of occlusion, or the soft and/or hard tissues need to be altered or grafted surgically. In addition, after first- and second-stage implant surgery and extractions, there is a need for immediate tooth replacement with extended time between prosthodontic treatments. These prosthodontic changes and challenges can be addressed with reinforced acrylic provisional restorations that are adequately cemented and retained during the interim stage of healing and treatment. In addition, the provisional restoration should serve as a guide for the final restoration while esthetics and phonetics are evaluated for patient acceptance. This article describes the materials used with an indirect technique for fabrication of an extended-treatment acrylic provisional restoration that uses an internal cast metal support system for strength. This support system consists of metal bands or copings with extensions into edentulous areas and that have been opaqued to neutralize the metallic color. A matrix of vinyl polysiloxane made from the diagnostic wax-up simplifies construction of the acrylic, resulting in a strong, ridged, yet esthetic result.