PONTICS

-VAISHAKHI
VAISHAKHI .Y.
.Y. BAISANE
BAISANE
(IVth
(IVth YEAR
YEAR B.D.S)
B.D.S)
CONTENTS
DEFINITION
IDEAL REQUIREMENTS
PONTIC DESIGN
PRETREATMENT ASSESSMENT
PONTIC CLASSIFICATION
BIOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS
MECHANICAL CONSIDERATIONS
ESTHETIC CONSIDERATIONS
PONTIC FABRICATION
REFERENCES
Definition
Pontic is defined as an artificial tooth on a fixed dental
prosthesis that replaces a missing natural tooth ,
restores its function and usually fills the space
previously occupied by the clinical crown.
Ideal Requirements
A pontic should restore the function of the tooth it
replaces .
It should provide good esthetics.
It should be biocompatible with continued oral health
and comfort.
It should permit effective oral hygiene.
It should preserve underlying mucosa and bone.
Pontic design
The success of a F.P.D depends on the proper design of the
pontic.
The pontic must be carefully designed and fabricated not only
to facilitate plaque control of the tissue surface and around the
adjacent abutment teeth but also to the existing occlusal
considerations .
The design of pontic depends on various factors:
Pretreatment assessment ,
Pontic classification ,
Biological considerations ,
Mechanical considerations and
Pontic fabrication .
Pretreatment assessment
Certain procedures enhance the success of pontics
they are:
 pontic space
 residual ridge contour
 gingival architecture preservation
Classification of pontics
Pontic design are classified into two major groups:
Those that contact the oral mucosa
Those that do not
Based on type of materials for fabrication
Based on method of fabrication
 Pontic selection is based primarily on esthetics and
oral hygiene.
MUCOSAL CONTACT :
Ridge lap
Modified ridge lap
ovate
conical
NO MUCOSAL CONTACT :
Sanitary/ hygienic
Modified sanitary/ hygiene
Based on type of material used :
metal and porcelain veneered pontic
metal and resin veneered pontic
all metal
all ceramic
Based on method of fabrication :
 Custom made pontic
 Prefabricated pontic :
trupontic
interchangable facing
sanitary pontic
pin facing pontic
modified pin facing pontic
reverse pin facing pontic
harmony pontic
porcelain fused to metal pontic
 Custom made prefabricated pontic
PONTIC DESIGN MATERIALS LOCATION

SANITARY/HYGIE All metal Posterior mandible

NIC

SADDLE-RIDGE- Not recommended Not recommended

LAP

CONICAL All metal Molars without

Metal ceramic esthetic
All resin requirement

MODIFIED RIDGE- All metal High esthetic

LAP Metal ceramic requirement
All resin

OVATE All metal Very high esthetic

Metal ceramic requirement
All resin
PONTIC DESIGN ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
SANITARY/HYGIENIC Good access for oral Poor esthetics
hygiene
SADDLE-RIDGE-LAP esthetic Not amenable to oral
hygiene
CONICAL Good access for oral Poor esthetics
hygiene

MODIFIED RIDGE-LAP Good esthetics Moderately easy to clean

OVATE Superior esthetics Requires surgical

Negligible food preparation
entrapment Not for residual ridge
Ease of cleaning defects
PONTIC DESIGN INDICATIONS CONTRAINDICATIONS
SANITARY/HYGIENIC Non esthetic zones Where esthetics is
Impaired oral hygiene essential
Less vertical dimension
SADDLE-RIDGE-LAP Not recommended Not recommended
CONICAL Posterior areas where Poor oral hygiene
esthetic is minimal
consideration
MODIFIED RIDGE-LAP Most areas with esthetic Where minimal esthetic
consideration consideration exists
OVATE Desire for optimal Unwillingness for surgery
esthetics Residual ridge defects
High smile line
Design considerations for posterior pontic :
All surfaces should be convex , smooth and properly
finished.
Contact with buccal slope of ridge should be minimal
and pressure free.
The occlusal table should be in harmony with the
occlusion of all the other teeth.
The buccal and lingual shunting mechanism should
correspond with that of the other teeth.
The overall length of the buccal surface should be equal
to that of the adjacent abutments or pontics
Design considerations for anterior pontic :
All surfaces should be smooth , convex and properly
finished . Contact with labial slope of the ridge should
be minimal and pressure free.
A large contact with the ridge is provided for a natural
look.
Lingual contour should be in harmony with that of the
other teeth.
Considerations for successful pontic

biologic

mechan
esthetic
ical
BIOLOGIC:
Ridge contact
Oral hygiene considerations
Pontic material
Occlusal forces
Mechanical :
Available materials
Strong connectors
Metal ceramic framework
Rigidity
Esthetic :
Incisogingival length
Mesiodistal width
Gingival interface
AVAILABLE ADVANTAGE DISADVANTA INDICATION CONTRAIND
PONTIC S GES S ICATIONS
SYSTEMS

METAL- ESTHETIC DIFFICULT MOST LONG SPANS

CERAMIC BIOCOMPATIBLE WHEN SITUATIONS WITH HIGH
ABUTMENT IS STRESS
NOT METAL-
CERAMIC
WEAKER THAN
ALL METAL
ALL METAL STRENGTH NONESTHETIC MANDIBULAR WHERE
MOLARS ESTHETICS IS
STRAIGHTFORW ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT
ARD UNDER HIGH
PROCEDURE BITE FORCE

FIBRE CONSIDERATIVE LIMITED TO AREAS OF HIGH LONG SPAN

REINFORCED WHEN USED SHORT SPANS ESTHETIC PARTIAL FIXED
WITH INLAY CONCERN DENTAL
ALL RESIN PROCEDURE PROSTHESIS
ESTHETICS
EASE OF REPAIR
SANITARY PONTIC :
It allows easy cleaning as the tissue surface remains clear
of the residual ridge.
The hygienic pontic is the least tooth like structure
hence it is reserved for teeth seldom displayed during
function.(mandibular molars for example)
These pontics have zero tissue contact.
The pontic should allow adequate tissue clearance and
should be atleast 3mm high occlusogingivally.
Three common designs can be employed while
fabricating a sanitary pontic :
Bar sanitary pontic - they have flat gingival surface and
sufficient gingival clearance
Conventional or fish-belly pontic – the gingival surface
of pontic is convex both buccolingually and
mesiodistally . Its disadvantages are that size of
connector is reduced and so strength of prosthesis is
also reduced.
Modified sanitary or perel pontic or arc-fixed pontic –
the gingival surface is hyperparaboloid that is concave
mesiodistally and convex buccolingually.
It overcomes the limitations of fish belly pontic and is
easier to maintain also the arch shape increases the
size of the connectors .
SADDLE PONTIC :
A Pontic with a concave surface which overlaps the ridge
buccally and lingually is called a saddle .
Ginival surface of the saddle pontic does not have
contact with the ridge , only buccal and lingual ends of
the gingival surface will contact the tissue .
Disadvantage of this pontic is the difficulty in
maintenance.
RIDGE-LAP PONTICS :
It resembles a natural tooth .
Its design is closely adapted to the ridge .
It is avoided as it is difficult to maintain and it is leads to
inflammation of tissues quite often .
MODIFIED RIDGE-LAP PONTICS :
They were designed to reduce further tissue contact .
This pontic is designed with a slight buccolingual cavity wherin food
entrapment can occur .
Food entrapment is avoided by designing a convex mesiodistal
surface .
Tissue surface of the pontic shows a T shaped contact .
The vertical arm of the ‘T’ ends at the crest of the ridge.
The horizontal arms form contact along the buccal surface of the
ridge .
Contact with buccal surface of the ridge is to provide a natural
appearance .
OVATE PONTICS :
These pontics are used in cases where the residual ridge
is defective or incompletely healed .
They can also be used in broad and flat ridges .
The pontic is such designed that its cervical end
extends into the defect of the edentulous ridge .
The pontic should be reduced as healing progresses.
This pontic is more esthetic as it appears to arise from
the ridge like a natural tooth .
CONICAL PONTIC :
It can also be called egg shaped or bullet shaped or heart
shaped pontic .
It should be made as convex as possible with only one point
of contact at the center of the residual ridge .
This design is recommended for replacement of mandibular
posterior teeth , where esthetic concern is less .
Only disadvantage is poor esthetics which results due to
wide embrasures.
REFERENCES
ROSEN-STIEL
SHILLINGBURG
THANK
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