Immediate Provisional Crowns in Tucson, AZ

There is a lot of advertising and marketing these days centered on the topic of 'teeth in a day.' Unfortunately, the realities of bone and soft tissue healing essentially rule out doing permanent implant-supported crowns or fixed bridges the same day the implants go in. Especially since all patients we see want their crowns or bridges to be done as well as they can be done: to look perfect, to chew comfortably, and to last a long time. Even so, the topic of immediate provisional ("temporary") crowns is timely and appropriate, especially when the implant and crown are in the "esthetic zone" where the gum line around the crown shows when you speak or smile. In the esthetic zone, avoiding loss of gum tissue is essential if we are to gain an optimal final result, and the best way to avoid gum tissue shrinkage is to support the tissue with a provisional crown placed the same day the implant is inserted. In fact, the best possible scenario to gain an ideal esthetic result is to place the implant and provisional the same day that the tooth is removed.

In 2007, Dr. Harvey published an article in the Journal of Periodontology, the professional scientific journal of the American Academy of Periodontology (please see "Publications"). In this article, Dr. Harvey described a novel approach to optimizing the esthetic potential of Implant crowns through use of immediate implants and immediate provisionals, thereby minimizing any tendency for gum tissue shrinkage or loss.

Dr. Harvey is a recognized expert on dental implant esthetics, having lectured nation-wide on this topic. As he puts it: "Our tagline when it comes to implants in the esthetic zone is: 'As if it never happened.' That is, we want to help our patients through a very difficult process of losing a front tooth, managing the situation so that the final crown looks just like the tooth that was lost. I have found that using immediate provisionals is an indispensible part of this process. My patients also receive a secondary benefit in that they do not have to go through a period of months wearing a removable tooth. When it comes to losing a front tooth, it is critically important to plan the process definitively from the moment it becomes apparent that the tooth is going to be lost."

If you or someone you know is in the process of losing a front tooth, call us for a consultation right away, as time really is of the essence in order to get this challenging situation taken care of in an ideal fashion.

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