Big Holes, Big Problems

The Conventional Conversion

Imagine you bought a new desk, but it doesn’t have any holes to feed cords through. A friend offers to help, and he drills an enormous hole in your desk, (we’re talking a one-foot diameter hole). When you tell him the hole is too large, he says, “no problem!” and uses wood filler to fill it back in. He lets it dry and sends you (and the desk) on your way.

Here’s the key question: How comfortable are you going to feel putting a computer on that desk?

Yet, for decades, this is exactly what we’ve been doing with immediate-load provisionals. We take a perfectly good block of PMMA, craft it into a beautiful arch, and then... we drill giant "chimneys" through the occlusal table to fit tall temporary cylinders.

We call it "The Conventional Conversion." Physics calls it "structural sabotage."

We decided to stop guessing and actually check the math.

Discovery #1: Drilling Giant Holes is Bad (Who knew?)

We recently got our hands on a peer-reviewed study (PMID: 40897985) that compared the Smart Denture Conversion (SDC) workflow against the old-school "drill-and-fill" method. The scientists did a lot of complex smashing and crushing (for science), and they found exactly what you’d expect: 

• Conventional Method: They drilled a big hole in it.  It broke.
• Smart Denture Conversion: They didn't drill a big hole in it.  It didn't break.

The study confirms that SDC creates a significantly stronger provisional with a "more uniform bond." Translation: When you don't turn your patient's teeth into Swiss cheese, they tend to last longer.

Discovery #2: The Excalibur Problem

There is another issue with some of the "other guys" in the market (we won't name names, we’re classy like that). They use a "pin-capture" system that holds onto the abutment like a toddler holding a candy bar. It holds on too tight.

We ran some bench tests to see how much force it takes to remove these things versus our SDC housing.

• The Other Guys: Required 10.60 lbs of pull force to remove.
• Smart Denture Conversions: Required 5.90 lbs of pull force.

Why does this matter?

Because you are a dentist, not a CrossFit athlete. If you have to pull with 10+ pounds of force to get a temporary off, you aren't just retrieving a prosthetic—you are playing a high-stakes game of "Will I Reverse-Torque This Implant?"

The Bottom Line

We like to keep things simple at Smart On X.

• Don’t drill unnecessary holes. (It makes things break.)
• Don’t use fasteners that fight you. (It makes you sweat.)

Our Smart Denture Conversion workflow is 44% easier to remove than the leading friction-grip competitor, and—according to the latest peer-reviewed literature—significantly less likely to snap in half while your patient is eating a bagel.

You can stick with the drill-and-fill method if you enjoy emergency repair appointments. For everyone else, there’s us.

About the Author

Will Wood

Director of Education at Smart On X

Will brings more than 20 years of experience across healthcare operations, hospital and clinic management, dental laboratories, and postgraduate residency programs.

As our Director of Education, he leads hands-on training for doctors, lab technicians, and clinical teams—helping them master All-on-X workflows through a prosthetically driven, systems-based approach that unites surgical, prosthetic, and technical disciplines for predictable, long-term results.

A retired Chief Master Sergeant in the United States Air Force, Will combines deep expertise in healthcare compliance and systems optimization with a proven record of leading high-performing teams and driving sustainable growth.