From provisional restorations to definitive treatment and maintenance
The stages of prosthetic rehabilitation and care after restorations are fitted.
On this page
Why have a provisional stage?
Provisional restorations protect prepared teeth and can help assess shape and function during treatment. They belong to a plan with reassessment points. Their appearance does not always reproduce the properties of the definitive restoration.
When is definitive treatment appropriate?
Timing depends on associated care and reassessment. In advanced periodontitis, EFP guidance calls for evaluation of prognosis and maintainability of supporting teeth or implants before the definitive prosthesis. Definitive describes a treatment stage, not unlimited lifespan. [1]
How is a restoration maintained?
Discuss hygiene adapted to its design and access for cleaning, including around implants. Review intervals depend on individual risk. Report changes in comfort, restoration movement or difficulty cleaning.
What should you receive before completion?
Clear care instructions, a review plan and a contact for problems. Rehabilitation continues through monitoring and, when necessary, repair or replacement. No material or technique removes every risk of complications.
Clinical sources
- EFP. Treatment of stage IV periodontitis — Cases 3 and 4. Companion infographic to the 2022 guideline.
- American Association of Endodontists. Treatment Standards: Executive Summary. 2019.
Further reading
- Shillingburg HT Jr et al. Fundamentals of Fixed Prosthodontics. 4th ed. Quintessence, 2012.
- Misch CE. Dental Implant Prosthetics. 2nd ed. Mosby, 2015.
Selected editions published from 2012 onwards. Books are recommended for further reading; clinical explanations reference the accessible sources above.
The information on this page is general and educational. It does not replace a medical consultation, and a treatment recommendation can only be made after examining each patient. Results differ from one case to another.
A plan for your situation
Book a consultationStart with a consultation and a plan
Every treatment begins with a diagnosis: clinical examination, photographs, radiographs and, where relevant, an occlusal analysis. Only then do we discuss options.