Answer :
Final answer:
A patient wears a temporary crown on a prepared tooth while a permanent crown or bridge is being fabricated by the lab. This provisional prosthesis protects the tooth, maintains tooth spacing, and provides an aesthetic appearance before the permanent restoration is ready for placement.
Explanation:
When a patient's tooth is being prepared for a crown or a bridge, the dentist will place a temporary crown or provisional prosthesis on the tooth while the permanent prosthesis is being fabricated by the dental laboratory. The temporary crown serves several important purposes: It protects the prepared tooth from damage and sensitivity by covering the exposed dentin, it maintains the space so that surrounding teeth do not shift and cause issues with the fit of the final restoration, and it gives the patient a more aesthetic appearance than having a prepared but uncovered tooth. These temporary restorations are usually made of an acrylic-based material and are designed to be easily removed once the permanent crown or bridge is ready for placement.
Temporary crowns are customized to fit the patient's mouth and are made directly in the dental office or in some cases, pre-formed shapes are adapted. After the impression of the prepared tooth is taken and sent off to the lab, the dentist fabricates the temporary crown and cements it with a temporary adhesive that ensures it remains in place but can also be easily taken off without damaging the tooth underneath. Once the lab completes the final crown or bridge, the patient will return to the dental office to have the temporary crown removed and the permanent restoration placed and cemented.
