These days, many people who get dental implants benefit from what is often described as same-day teeth. If a dental implant is stable enough, your Detroit implant dentist can place a provisional dental crown or bridge right after placing the dental implant.
However, this provisional restoration is not final, and failing to replace it according to schedule can lead to problems.
What Is the Difference between a Dental Crown and a Dental Implant Crown?
Although they sound the same, these two types of crowns function differently. A dental crown repairs a tooth, while a dental implant crown replaces a tooth.
When you have a damaged tooth, your Detroit dentist might recommend repairing it with a dental crown. A crown is often called a cap because it is: it’s a cap that fits over your natural tooth. It helps beautify and strengthen a damaged tooth, but the tooth is still there.
On the other hand, a dental implant replaces a lost tooth. A dental implant has two or more parts. The dental implant itself replaces the tooth root–the part below your gums in the jawbone. The dental implant crown replaces the visible part of the tooth. Typically, a connector piece called an abutment links the two.
Because a dental implant crown doesn’t have a tooth inside, it is typically thicker and stronger. The two types of crowns might be made of different materials to help them perform their different functions.
What Is the Difference between a Temporary and a Provisional Dental Crown?
Temporary crowns and provisional crowns both function as placeholders for permanent restorations. The difference is that temporary crowns are designed to last weeks, while provisional crowns last for months.
Your Detroit dentist will use a temporary crown while you wait for the dental lab to manufacture your permanent crown.
On the other hand, your Detroit implant dentist will use a provisional crown when you are waiting for your dental implant to heal. To fully heal, your dental implant must integrate with your jawbone. This takes months, and you don’t want an empty space in your smile for that time. A provisional crown is an aesthetic and functional replacement for the healing period. In some cases, we can place your permanent crown on the same day, as long as your implant site allows it.
Provisional restorations have come a long way in recent years (as have all cosmetic restorations). Modern provisional restorations look so good and seem to function so well that you might be forgiven for thinking they’re as good as the final restoration. But they’re not, and if you try to use them as a final restoration, you will learn the difference. Here are some of the problems you might face.
Debonding
Provisional restorations aren’t bonded with cement as strong or durable as that used for permanent cement. It’s good enough to last through the provisional period, but it isn’t intended for use long-term. So it’s no surprise that if you keep the provisional on, it will likely become debonded. Then, if you opt to get it bonded again, it can become debonded again. Trying to keep the provisional crown as a permanent one may mean many visits to a Detroit dentist to try to fix the crown back on the implant.
Discoloration
Permanent crowns are designed to resist stains. They’re even better at it than natural teeth. With proper care, they can last for decades without staining at all, even if you’re a heavy coffee drinker.
Provisional crowns, on the other hand, are designed to stay white for a few months. Over time, they will begin to discolor. Nor can you whiten them. While teeth whitening from a Detroit cosmetic dentist will help your teeth look brighter, it won’t impact the color of your provisional crowns.
Breaking
And even as you’re working hard to keep the crown bonded to the dental implant, it may give out. Provisional restorations aren’t much stronger than they need to be. Permanent restorations are designed to last as long as possible, so the materials have become stronger. But provisional restorations only have to last a few months, depending on the application.
So it’s not a surprise that provisional restorations won’t be able to last for years. The longer they are in place, the more likely they will break.
Implant Failure
Provisional restorations don’t always give your implant the function it needs to properly stay in place.
During the early stages after your implant is placed, the concern is that it might have too much force put on it. This can interfere with healing, so provisional crowns are often set up so that they don’t put too much pressure on the implant itself.
However, after the initial healing period, the dental implant needs stimuli in the form of pressure to help maintain the bone that’s developed around the implant. A provisional crown may not give enough pressure during biting and chewing, especially if worn down because it’s weaker than a permanent crown. This can cause the dental implant to lose stability and fail. Managing a healthy bite is critical to the long-term success of your implant.
Replace Your Provisional Crown in Detroit
If you’ve gotten a dental implant and it still has the provisional crown on top, you need to have it replaced with a permanent crown. Even if you’re coming from another dentist or even another city, our expert Detroit implant dentists can match your implant with an appropriate crown that can give you the best appearance, function, and longevity for your implants.
To learn how we can help you complete your dental implant in the Detroit area, please call (248) 656-2020 today for an appointment with an implant dentist at Doolin Haddad Advanced Dentistry in Rochester.
