Losing a tooth changes more than just your smile. It changes how you eat, how you speak, how you feel walking into a room, and whether you feel confident enough to laugh without covering your mouth. For people who need a dental implant, one of the biggest concerns is the waiting period: months of healing with a gap in your smile, a removable temporary, or simply making do. The good news is that a different approach exists, and it doesn’t require choosing between getting the implant done and having a presentable smile in the meantime.
At Precision Cosmetic & Family Dentistry, Dr. James Kortbus offers implants with temporary teeth as part of our oral surgery and restorative care. This approach means that after the implant post is placed, patients can leave with a provisional (temporary) tooth in place. You don’t have to walk out with an obvious gap or a bulky removable appliance. Instead, you get a placeholder restoration that looks natural while the implant integrates with the bone, setting the stage for a permanent crown down the line.
Request an AppointmentWhat It Means to Get an Implant with a Temporary Tooth
Most people understand the basics of dental implants: a titanium post goes into the jawbone and eventually supports a permanent crown. What’s less commonly known is that the implant process doesn’t have to leave you without a tooth during the healing phase.
The Role of a Provisional Restoration
A provisional restoration, sometimes called a temporary crown, is a tooth-shaped placeholder that attaches to the implant or a nearby support structure while osseointegration (the process of the bone fusing with the implant) takes place. It’s not your final tooth, but it holds your place in the arch, protects the surgical site, and lets you smile, eat, and speak with far less disruption to your daily life.
This option is especially meaningful for front teeth or any tooth that’s highly visible when you smile. Going weeks or months without a front tooth isn’t just inconvenient. It can feel genuinely embarrassing. A well-designed provisional restoration fills the gap, literally and emotionally.
How the Timing Works
Whether a temporary tooth can be placed at the same appointment as the implant depends on a few individual factors, including the location of the tooth, the quality and density of the bone, and how stable the implant is immediately after placement. When an implant achieves sufficient initial stability, a provisional can often be attached right away in what’s sometimes called immediate provisionalization. In other cases, placement of the temporary comes shortly after, once healing has progressed. Dr. Kortbus evaluates each case individually to determine the safest and most effective sequencing, using CBCT imaging and digital scanning to guide treatment planning with precision.
Why Choose Implants with Temporary Teeth
There are practical and personal reasons why this approach resonates with so many patients, and understanding both helps put the option in context.
Aesthetic Continuity During Healing
One of the most immediate benefits is simply looking and feeling more like yourself throughout the process. For patients replacing a tooth that others can see, keeping something natural-looking in place makes a real difference. You can attend work meetings, family events, and social gatherings without feeling self-conscious about your smile.
Functional Support
A provisional restoration isn’t only cosmetic. It helps maintain the spacing between neighboring teeth and keeps the surrounding tissue properly shaped as healing progresses. This matters for the final outcome because the gum tissue around the implant needs to contour correctly before the permanent crown is seated.
A Clearer Path to the Final Result
Temporary teeth also serve as something of a trial run for your final restoration. If adjustments need to be made to the shape, bite, or overall look before the permanent crown is fabricated, the provisional phase is the time to identify and address them.
Research published on the National Institutes of Health platform has reinforced that dental implants carry high overall survival rates and that careful case selection and treatment planning are key contributors to long-term success. At Precision Cosmetic & Family Dentistry, we take that planning seriously from the very first conversation.
Am I a Candidate for This Option?
Not every implant patient is automatically a candidate for immediate provisionalization. The factors that influence candidacy include bone volume and density at the implant site, the location of the tooth being replaced, and how stable the implant is immediately after placement. Patients who have experienced significant bone loss may need bone grafting before moving forward. You can read more about that preparatory step in our post on how bone grafting works before dental implants.
For patients who are strong candidates, the experience tends to be notably smoother than the traditional approach. Rather than going through multiple phases of care with obvious gaps between them, the whole process feels more connected and continuous.
It’s also worth noting that implants with temporary teeth represent just one option within our broader restorative dentistry offerings. Depending on your situation, other solutions like implant-supported dentures may be worth exploring. Our blog on implant-supported vs. traditional dentures covers that comparison in depth for patients weighing their options.
Choose Precision Cosmetic & Family Dentistry for Implant Care in New Smyrna Beach
What separates Precision Cosmetic & Family Dentistry from many other practices in the area is the level of care and technology kept in-house. Dr. Kortbus trained at NYU and built his clinical philosophy around one idea: patients shouldn’t have to travel to multiple offices, wait through disconnected referral chains, or sacrifice quality for convenience. By combining CBCT imaging, digital intraoral scanning, and in-office crown milling under one roof, we control each step of the implant process, from placement to final restoration. That kind of continuity means fewer surprises and better outcomes.
Financing options are available to help make implant care accessible, including CareCredit, Cherry, and an in-house membership plan. We also work with a range of insurance providers. You can review your financing options before your appointment. If you’re ready to learn whether implants with temporary teeth are the right fit for your situation, contact our office to schedule a consultation with Dr. Kortbus.