A direct wax-up technique for an immediate provisional crown

The transitory function of provisional crowns means that these restorations are frequently fabricated directly in the mouth using comparatively inexpensive procedures.1

Many operators will use an alginate or silicone impression of the tooth to be prepared to produce a provisional crown that duplicates the form of the existing tooth.2 This matrix technique has proved popular, especially when a silicone impression is taken. Such materials enable the operator to retain a dimensionally stable index of the prepared tooth form, during the inter-appointment period, in case of failures. However, some situations will require a modification of this approach. These are, inter alia:

In such situations, the clinician has little to go on to help reproduce the external contours of the damaged tooth. Consequently, the shape of the tooth must first be improved before construction of a matrix (Figure 1).