Provisional implant-supported fixed restorations.

Implant-supported provisional restorations serve several valuable functions. In the anterior region, they are beneficial in determining the best restorative design, ultimately allowing for the most appropriate definitive prosthesis. They also provide a template around which soft tissue contours may be evaluated and manipulated. In areas where bone quality is compromised and implant success is suspect, whether it be anteriorly or more likely posteriorly, implant-supported provisional restorations may be used to "test" the osseointegration prior to fabricating and placing the definitive restorations.