The document discusses various aspects of bridge and pontic design in dentistry, focusing on definitions, types, and materials used in fabricating dental prostheses. It describes the importance of pontics in replacing missing teeth, their design considerations, and the mechanical and aesthetic functions they serve. Additionally, it outlines different pontic designs, their classifications, and the procedures for fabrication.

1. BRIDGE & PONTIC
DESIGN
Organized by:
-Dt Sarah Omari
Done by:
-Noor Al Amishat
-Noor Al Qunna

2. INTRODUCTION
• PONTIC is the artificial tooth in the fixed
or removable partial dentures; that is, the
suspended portion of the fixed partial
denture (bridge) replacing the missing
natural tooth or teeth.
• The pontic may be fabricated from cast
metal or combination of metal and
porcelain.

3. DEFINITIONS
Fixed bridge: fixed dental prosthesis used to replace one or
more missing teeth by joining an artificial tooth definitively
to adjacent teeth or dental implants.
Abutment: The tooth that supports and retains a dental
prosthesis.
Pontic: The artificial tooth that replaces a missing natural
tooth.
Retainer: The component attached to the abutment for
retention of the prosthesis. Retainers can be major or
minor.
Unit: Pontics and abutment teeth are referred to as units.
The total number of units in a bridge is equal to the
number of pontics plus the number of abutment teeth.

4. CONT..
• Saddle: The area on the alveolar ridge which is
edentulous where at least one missing tooth is to be
reinstated.
• Connector: Joins the pontic to the retainer or two
retainers together. Connectors may be fixed or
movable.
• Span: The length of the alveolar ridge between the
natural teeth where the bridge will be placed.
• Resin bonded bridge: A dental prostheses where
the pontic is connected to the surface of natural teeth
which are either unprepared or minimally prepared

5. A DENTAL
BRIDGE IS
COMPRISED OF:

6. PONTIC DESIGN
• Pontic design selection depends on the location of the edentulous area. Controversies exist
for the gingival embrasure space and design. Some considered less plaque accumulation with
space closure while other proposed open embrasure space for oral
hygiene maintenance pontic.
• Pontic resembles the tooth morphology and may be altered to meet extra demands in
certain clinical scenarios such as in case of convex tissue surfaces and narrow occlusal table.
• Decreasing the buccolingual width lead to decrease in interferences in eccentric movements.
• Some authors considered normal size occlusal table, whereas other considered it to be of
minimum importance.

7. • Pontic should be out of tissue contact when proceeding from facial to lingual.
• Different shapes of pontic are selected according to the position of the
edentulous space, amount of bone resorption, and operator's and
patient's preferences.
• It is recommended that the prosthodontist or the dental practitioner should
advise the dental laboratory about the shape of the desired pontic for the
fixed prosthesis.
• There is a variety of pontic designs (such as ridge lap, ovate, and conical) for
mandibular and maxillary arches.

8. THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE PONTIC DESIGN INCLUDE
• Looks like the tooth it replaces.
• Tissue contact appear as normal tooth.
ESTHETICS
• Can maintain healthy tissues.
• Cleansable.
BIOCOMPATIBILITY
• Strong enough to withstand functional forces.
• Rigid and resistant to deformation.
• Provides normal function.
MECHANICAL

9. FUNCTIONS OF THE PONTIC
1) MASTICATION
The pontic provides hard surfaces against which food can be chewed by teeth in the opposing arch .
2) SPEECH (PHONETICS)
A space created by the loss of tooth alters the pattern of airflow making normal speech difficult. pontic helps to restrict air
passage through edentulous area to aid in the reestablishment of normal sounds.
3) ESTHETICS (APPEARANCE)
Pontics , fill in the empty spaces that would be observed during talking and smiling, provide support for lips and cheeks to
allow normal facial form.( well-aligned teeth and a pleasing smile afford apositive social status!) .
4) MAINTENANCE OF TOOTH RELATIONSHIP
Pontics maintain the integrity of dental arches by preventing teeth that are adjacent to and opposing an edentulous area
from moving out of their relationship. when missing teeth are not replaced, the teeth posterior to edentulous areas can
move forward from their normal position , its also possible for teeth anterior and to opposing edentulous spaces to drift
distally and occlusally into open area.

10. MATERIALS
USED
IN
PONTIC
FABRICATION
ALL METAL
ALL CERAMIC
ALL ACRYLIC
COMBINATION:
METAL CERAMIC
METAL ACRYLIC
ZIRCONIUM CERAMIC

11. TYPES OF BRIDGES
• Conventional bridge
High Translucent zirconium fixed - fixed bridge built with VM9 vita porcelain and
stained with luster paste. The upper first premolar is considered the pontic and
the teeth prepared are abutments.
Conventional bridges are bridges that are supported by full coverage crowns,
three-quarter crowns, post-retained crowns, onlays and inlays on the abutment
teeth. In these types of bridges, the abutment teeth require preparation and
reduction to support the prosthesis. Conventional bridges are named depending
on the way the pontic (false teeth) is attached to the retainer.

12. CONT…
• Fixed-fixed bridges
A fixed-fixed bridge refers to a pontic which is attached to a retainer
at both sides of the space with only one path of insertion. This type
of design has a rigid connector at each end which connects the
abutment to the pontic. As the abutments are connected together
rigidly it is critical that during tooth preparation the proximal
surfaces of the abutment teeth must be prepared so that they are
parallel to each other.
• Cantilever
A cantilever is a bridge where a pontic is attached to a retainer only
at one side. The abutment tooth may be mesial or distal to the
pontic.
• Spring cantilever
The pontic and retainer are remote from each other and connected
by a metal bar. Usually, a missing anterior tooth is replaced and
supported by a posterior tooth. This design of bridge has been
superseded.

13. CONT…
• Fixed-movable
The pontic is firmly attached to a retainer at one end of the span (major retainer)
and attached via a movable joint at the other end (minor retainer).
A major advantage of this type of bridge is that the movable joint can
accommodate the angulation differences in the abutment teeth in long axis,
which enables the path of insertion to be irrespective of the alignment of the
abutment tooth.
This enables a more conservative approach as the abutments do not need to be
prepared so that are parallel to one and other. Ideally the rigid connector should
attach the pontic to the more distal abutment. The movable connector attaches
the pontic to the mesial abutment, enabling this abutment tooth limited
movement in a vertical direction.
• Adhesive bridge "Maryland bridge"
An alternative to the traditional bridge is the adhesive bridge (also called a
Maryland bridge). An adhesive bridge utilises "wings" on the sides of the pontic
which attach it to the abutment teeth. Abutment teeth require minor or no
preparation. They are most often used when the abutment teeth are whole and
sound (i.e., no crowns or major fillings).

14. CONT...
• Combination Designs
The incorporation of elements of different conventional bridge designs. A popular
combination design is the use of a fixed-fixed design with a cantilever.
• Hybrid Designs
Bridges that incorporate elements of both conventional and adhesive bridge
designs.

15. Mucosal contact:
• Saddle Pontic
• Ridge lap
• Modified ridge lap
• Conical
• Ovate Pontic
• Modified Ovate Pontic
Non-mucosal
contact:
• Sanitary (hygienic)
• Modified Sanitary
(hygienic)
Pontic classification:

16. (A) Pontics with mucosal contact:
1. Saddle Pontic (full ridge lap)
• Overlaps the ridge (largest area of contact).
• Most natural feeling.
• Most difficult to clean (concave tissue surface
overlying residual ridge Bucco-lingual).
• Should be avoided.
• Used for Limited occlusal-gingival space.

17. 2. Ridge Lap Pontic
• Like saddle on buccal.
• Convex on the lingual.
• More cleansable than saddle design.
• Potential for tissue irritation minimized.
• Combines best features of
saddle(aesthetic) & hygienic pontics.
• Used when the tooth lie in the
appearance zone (max & man).

18. 3. Modified Ridge Lap Pontic
• Contacts tissue only on most facial surface of
the pontic.
• Most cleansable.
• Least tissue irritation.
• Space between pontic and tissue on lingual
can be unacceptable to the patient.
• Used when the tooth lie in the appearance
zone (max & man.).

19. 4. Ovate Pontic
• Placed in convexity on edentulous
ridge.
• Appears to be growing out of
tissue.
• Natural feeling for patient.
• Difficulty in cleaning.
• Potential for tissue irritation.
• Used for Maxillary incisor and
premolars.
• Requires surgical preparation.
(a) ridge lap/saddle; (b) modified ridge lap and (c) ovate pontic.

20. 5. Modified Ovate Pontic
• The modification of the ovate pontic involves moving the
height of contour at the tissue surface from the center of
the base to be more labialy.
• Position 1-1.5 mm apical and palatal to gingival margin.
• The modified ovate pontic does not require as much
facio-lingual thickness to create an emergence profile.
• Excellent aesthetics.
• Fulfilled functional requirements.
• easier cleaning compared with the ovate pontic.
• need for surgical augmentation of the ridge.

21. 6. Conical Pontic (bullet, spheroid)
• egg shaped or spheroid shape.
• used as pontic in non aesthetic areas.
• convex shape with only one point touches the residual ridge.
• The most easiest design to clean compared with mucosal
contact design.
• Used when occlusal 2/3 of the facial surface lie in the
appearance zone but not gingival 1/3 (lower incisors,
premolars and molars).

22. 1. Hygienic (sanitary):
• Made entirely from metal.
• Doesn’t have any contact with underlying
tissue.
• Primary design for the non appearance zone
in mandibular posterior region.
• Most cleansable.
• Convex shaped.
• No tissue contact.
• 3 mm space between the pontic and gingiva.
• 3 mm thickness of pontic.
(B) Pontic with non-mucosal contact

23. 2. Modified Hygienic Pontic.
• A modified version of the sanitary pontic.
• It gingival portion is shaped like archway between the
retainers.
• This geometry added bulk for strength in the connectors
while decreasing the stress concentrated in the pontic and
connectors.
• Made entirely from metal.
• Doesn't have any contact with underlying tissue.
• Primary design for the non appearance zone in
mandibular posterior region.
• Access for cleaning is good.

24. procedure
1. Wax patterns were prepared,
sprued, and invested. The
alloy was melted, cast into
the mold, and then bench-
cooled.
2. After divesting, the alloy was
blasted with 50-µm Al, 03
particles.
3. clean with steam.

25. 4. After surface treatment, the specimens were oxidized
by heating them in a mild vacuum (10 mmHg) in a
dental ceramic furnace from 450 ° C to 1000 ° C at a rate
of 45 ° C / min with a 1-minute hold at the peak
temperature. The specimens were bench cooled to
room temperature (RT).
Three of these sheet specimens were left in this
oxidized state. Their surfaces were first examined with
XPS.

26. 5. Fabrication of the crowns used PFM firing
cycles.
- Two layers of opaque dental porcelain, with a
combined thickness of 0.4 mm, were fired onto the
crown surfaces.
- Two layers of dentin and enamel porcelain, with a
combined thickness of approximately 1.0 mm, were
fired onto the crowns. The crowns were bench set
at RT after each firing cycle. The total porcelain
thickness was approximately 1.4 mm.
- A layer of glaze were fired onto the crowns, and the
completed crowns were allowed to cool to RT.
- The surfaces were then carefully cleaned and air
dried.

27. Thank you for listening