An Investigation Into the Integrity of Fit of Provisional Crowns Using Current Proprietary Temporary Crown Materials

Three methods of direct provisional crown construction were investigated for accuracy of marginal fit. A modified proprietary crown coping was compared to Bis GMA and isobutyl methacrylate resin provisional crowns with margins modified by using a flowable composite and 'bead on' isobutyl methacrylate respectively. Measurement was at 50x magnification at seven sites over the fit surface. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 13.0.1 and measurement compared using the Mann Whitney test set at a significance level of 0.05. Reliability was checked using the Bland Altman test. Statistical significant differences were found between the three groups. The order of best fit was Bis-GMA and flowable composite > isobutyl methacrylate with 'bead on' margins > Bis-GMA modified implant temporary coping. The clinical significance is that the Bis GMA and flowable composite combination can be used with equal confidence to traditional methods of temporarisation.