About your Provisional (temporary) And your Crown and Bridgework:

Provisional (temporary) crowns or bridges are placed on the teeth that will eventually have porcelain fused to gold, full gold or all ceramic crowns or bridges placed on them. They will be worn until the crown and bridgework is completed. Their purpose is to protect the remaining tooth structure, maintain the surrounding periodontium (gums) and maintain the position of the adjacent and opposing teeth.

While wearing your provisional the following is important to note:

1. Some sensitivity can occur initially while wearing your provisionals (temporaries). This usually subsides within a few weeks.
2. Maintaining good hygiene, as always, is important.
3. A prescription for Prevident 5000 will be given to you. You should use it once a day as we have instructed. Brush with Prevident at night, spit out and do not rinse off.
4. When flossing – slide the floss through the space between the temporary crown and the adjacent teeth. This will help avoid removing the temporary inadvertently.
5. When eating you should avoid the following:

   a. Candy
   b. Bagels
   c. Gum
   d. Chewy/sticky foods
   e. Incising (biting into) sandwiches and pizza when temporary is on front tooth
   f. Crusty breads

6. If the provisional does loosen or comes out, please call and we will schedule you to recement it within 48 hours.
7. Leaving the provisional (temporary) out for a longer period of time can allow for teeth to shift – resulting in the final crown not fitting properly. Tooth decay can also occur more easily on the unprotected tooth’s surfaces.
8. It is extremely important to remain on the schedule we give you for your treatment. Delaying treatment can result in additional tooth decay, gum disease and costs.

Being aware of the purpose and care of your provisional (temporary) crowns along with the importance of keeping scheduled appointments will be very helpful in making your case successful.

Thank you,

Kevin J. McNeil, D.D.S.
Alex M. Doe, D.M.D.