Provisional dental Restorations from foundation to advanced materials and techniques in modern prosthodontics

Abstract

Provisional restorations are an essential component of contemporary restorative and implant dentistry extending beyond their traditional role as temporary replacements to become a critical factor in achieving successful treatment outcomes. It contributes to protecting prepared teeth and implant sites, preserving periodontal and peri-implant soft tissues, maintaining occlusal stability, restoring function and esthetics and allowing clinicians to evaluate treatment outcomes before placement of the definitive restoration. Recent advances in restorative materials and digital technologies including computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) systems and three-dimensional (3D) printing have significantly improved the precision, mechanical performance and clinical efficiency of provisional restorations. This review literature demonstrates the current evidence regarding the clinical significance of provisional restorations their biological, functional and esthetic roles, provisional restorative materials from conventional and digital fabrication techniques and their applications in implant dentistry when well-designed enhance soft tissue management, improve patient comfort, facilitate treatment planning and contribute to the long-term success of definitive restorations. Furthermore, digital fabrication techniques have shown superior accuracy and clinical performance compared with conventional methods. Overall, provisional restorations should be considered an integral therapeutic phase that plays a pivotal role in achieving predictable and successful restorative and implant treatment outcomes. The aim of this study is presence the impact of digital technologies, particularly CAD/CAM systems and digital workflows on the fabrication, accuracy and clinical performance of provisional restorations and summarize the current evidence regarding the influence of provisional restorations on the success and long-term outcomes of restorative and implant-supported treatments.