FIXED PARTIAL DENTURE

-PONTICS

G.RACHANA 
INTERN
FIXED PARTIAL DENTURE IS MADE UO
OF THREE PARTS
• 1 RETAINER 
• 2 PONTIC
• 3 CONNECTOR 
PONTICS 
• DEFINITION : AN ARTIFICIAL TOOTH ON A FIXED PARTIAL DENTURE
THAT REPLACES THE MISSING TOOTH RESTORES ITS FUNCTION AND
USUALLY FILLS THE SPACE PREVIOUSLY FILLED BY THE NATURAL
CROWN 
Ideal requirements of pontics

1. Restore function of the replaced tooth.

2. Provide aesthetics and comfort.
3. Should be biologically acceptable.
4. Permit effective oral hygiene.
5. Preserve the underlying residual ridge and mucosa.
6. Have adequate strength to withstand occlusal forces.
1. With mucosal contact
Those that contact the mucosa are
 Ridge lap or saddle pontic
Design
• This pontic derives its name from its shape. It overlaps both the
buccal and lingual surfaces of the ridge; hence it is called ‘ridge lap’.
It forms a large concave contact with the ridge.

• It simulates the emergence profile of the missing tooth.

• It must not displace the soft tissues or cause blanching, but it

should make a snug contact 
Advantage Disadvantages
•The gingival surface
• The emergence of the pontic is not
profile of a pontic accessible by the
simulates the adjacent patient,
natural making it difficult to
tooth; thus, it is clean.
aesthetically superior • As the gingival
surface of the pontic is
in contact with the
ridge it
may sometimes cause
tissue inflammation.
ii. Modified ridge lap
Design
• The pontic does not contact the lingual aspect of the ridge, while
facially it is in contact with the ridge and hence simulates the
emergence profile of the adjacent teeth. 

• It is called ‘modified ridge lap’ because the gingival surface of the

pontic overlaps only the buccal surface of the ridge.

• When viewed from the gingival aspect, the tissue contact should
resemble a letter ‘T’ whose vertical arms end at the crest of the
ridge.
Advantages Disadvantages
Hygiene is inferior to
• Superior aesthetics. sanitary
• Lingually, the pontic
does not make any
contact with the
gingival
tissue and the
contacting surface is
convex. This enables
the patient
to maintain hygiene.
• iii. Ovate pontic
• An ovate pontic is one of the most aesthetically appealing designs.
• Design
• Convex tissue surface of ovate pontic resides within the ridge,
which appears as if the pontic is emerging from the ridge.
• The tissue contacting surface of the pontic is bluntly rounded and is
set into the concavity within the ridge.
• Concavity in ridge can be created by placing a provisional
restoration similar in shape immediately after extraction. It can also
be surgically created 
 Indications
• Fresh extraction sockets.
• Anterior missing teeth where aesthetics is of prime concern.
• Broad flat ridges.
Advantages Disadvantages
• Emergence profile of a
pontic simulates that of the • Requires surgical
adjacent natural preparation.
tooth. • Though
v it can be
• Pleasing appearance. flossed, meticulous oral
• Broad convex geometry is
stronger than modified ridge hygiene is required to
lap pontic. prevent tissue
• As tissue surface is convex inflammation resulting
in all directions, it is from large area of tissue
accessible while contact.
flossing.
iv. Conical pontic
It is also known as ‘egg-shaped’, ‘bullet-shaped’ and ‘heart-shaped’
pontic. This design is related to the ‘sanitary dummy’ described by
Tinker in 1918.
• Design
• The conical pontic is rounded with a small tip in relation to the overall size of the
pontic.
•  It should be made as convex as possible, with only one point contact at the
centre of the ridge.
• The facial and lingual contours are dependent on the width of the residual ridge.
A knife-edged residual ridge requires flatter contours with a narrow tissue
contact area
Advantage Disadvantage

• Good access for • Poor aesthetics

the oral hygiene

Indications Contraindications
• Broad residual
• Knife-edged posterior edentulous ridge
ridges. Aesthetic zone as the
• Molars that do not emergence profile is
require much aesthetic compromised
attention.
2. Without mucosal contact
i. Sanitary/hygienic pontic
Sanitary pontic is called so because this design allows easy cleansing, as the tissue
surface of the pontic remains clear of the residual ridge.
Design
• This design makes no contact with residual ridge thus there are minimal chances
of inflammation.
• Occlusogingival thickness of the pontic should be greater than 3 mm and there
should be adequate space under it to facilitate cleansing. 

• The conventional type is called ‘the fish belly’ design where the undersurface of
the pontic is rounded without angles for easier cleansing/flossing because it is
difficult to get the floss to pass over a flat undersurface evenly 
Advantages Disadvantage

• Good access for oral hygiene. • Poor aesthetics.

• Minimal tissue inflammation.
• ii. Modified sanitary pontic/perelpontic/arc-shaped fpd
• This is an alternative design in which there is a mesiodistal concavity.
• The undersurface is convex faciolingually and it gives a configuration
• of the hyperbolic parabolic. This design provides an added strength to
• the connecters and at the same time allows space for easier cleansing
Thank you