What is the difference between a temporary and permanent crown?

As the name suggests, temporary crowns are not there to last long; hence they are made of cheap materials, mainly composite resin or acrylic. They are bonded using temporary cement, so it is easy to remove them later on. A temporary crown is strong enough to withstand a typical bite without deforming or falling apart. However, it cannot protect a repaired tooth for much longer. Ideally, the permanent crown should be placed as soon as possible. The longer the temporary crown is in your mouth, the more likely the crown is to be severely worn off. This can cause a shift in tooth position and occlusion.

A permanent crown is much stronger than a temporary crown. It is usually made of ceramic porcelain composites, stainless steel, gold, or platinum alloys. The strength of these materials prevents the outer protective surface of restored teeth from chipping and breaking. For a permanent crown, we will take an impression to send to the lab. The dental lab usually takes seven to ten working days to build your permanent crown. Once the crown arrives, we will use an extra-strong adhesive to fix the crown permanently.

Note: Temporary crowns are more easily dislodged than permanent crowns, so the patient must be careful to avoid food that can damage the prosthetic. This includes hard foods and very sticky food that can pull out the crown.