The document discusses pontics in fixed partial dentures. It defines a pontic as the artificial tooth that replaces a missing tooth in a fixed dental bridge. The document outlines the ideal requirements of a pontic, including restoring function, providing esthetics, and being comfortable and biocompatible. It also describes the functions, design considerations, classifications, selection, and fabrication of pontics. Common pontic types like saddle, modified ridge lap, and sanitary pontics are explained. The document emphasizes that proper pontic design is important for the success of a fixed dental bridge.

1. PONTICS IN FIXED PARTIAL DENTURE
PRESENTED BY:
RAJAT HEGDE

2. CONTENTS
 Introduction
 Definition
 Ideal requirements of a pontic
 Functions of a pontic
 Pontic design
 General design consideration for a
pontic
 Classification of pontics
 Pontic Selection
 Types of pontics
 Special pontics
 Pontic modification
 Pontic fabrication
 Post-insertion hygiene
Conclusion

3. INTRODUCTION
• The term pontic is derived from Latin word ‘Pons’, meaning bridge.
• What is a Pontic in FPD…?
Pontic is that part of FPD that replaces lost natural tooth, restores
its functions and occupies the space of the missing tooth/teeth.

4. PONTIC
Definition:
• Pontic is defined as an artificial tooth on a fixed partial denture that
replaces a missing tooth, restores its functions and usually fills the
space previously filled by a natural crown” -GPT
• Standard sized teeth cannot be used as a pontic in FPD.
• Hence, the pontic is fabricated for that patient to fulfill its
requirements.

5. IDEAL REQUIREMENTS
• It should restore the function of the tooth it replaces.
• It should provide good esthetics.
• It should be comfortable to the patient.
• It should be biocompatible - should not impinge on the tissues or
produce any kind of tissue reaction.
• It should be easy to clean and maintain - to permit effective oral
hygiene.
• It should preserve the underlining mucosa (from ulcerations) and bone
(from resorption of residual alveolar ridge).

6. FUNCTIONS OF PONTIC
1. Mastication
2. Speech
3. Esthetics
4. Maintaining tooth relationship
5. Psychological

7. PONTIC DESIGN
• The success of an FPD depends on the proper design of the pontic.
• If the pontic is not designed to restore function and esthetics, the
chances of failure is increased.
Factors affecting the design of pontic :
1. Space available for the placement of the pontic.
2. The contour of the residual alveolar ridge.
3. Amount of occlusal load that is anticipated for that patient.

8. 1. Edentulous space:
• The space created due to the loss of teeth is usually sufficient for the fabrication of a good
pontic.
• Long period of edentulousness may cause the adjacent teeth to tilt or drift towards this
space.
• For cases with deficient contact space the following procedure can be done:
i. Orthodontic movement of adjacent teeth.
ii. Placement of modified full coverage retainers.
2. Residual ridge contour:
• During the treatment planning the diagnostic cast should be thoroughly examined.
• The contour of the ridge and texture of the soft tissue should be observed during intra oral
examination
• Smooth rounded ridge - best for the placement of a pontic.
• In cases of overhanging hyperplastic tissues, surgical excision of the tissues is carried out.
• Cases with severe residual alveolar ridge resorption should be treated with ridge
augmentation, tissue grafts...

9. Occlusal load on the pontic:
• According to Stein, the basic requirement of pontic is that it should be
able to restore proper function.
• The amount of occlusal load determines the selection of material as well
as design of the FPD.
• The most critical consideration in design of pontic is functional
relationship of the cusps of pontic and opposing teeth.

10. GENERAL DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS FOR A
PONTIC

11. Gingival Surface :
• The material used and the tissue contact affects the success of
restoration.
• Material of choice – highly glazed porcelain.
• The pontic should not be designed to pressurise the alveolar mucosa as
it may ulcerate.
• Tissue contact should be minimal.
• The factors affecting the pontic-ridge relationship considered while
designing an FPD are:
1. Periapical pathology
2. Periodontal disease
3. Trauma from occlusion
4. Age of patient
5. Healing efficiency

12. Occlusal Surface :
• Size of the occlusal table can be reduced – decreases amount of
force centred on abutment.
• The functional cusps of occlusal surface of the pontic shouldn’t be
reduced – to preserve stable vertical dimension.
• In maxillary teeth – buccal cusps provide esthetics.
• In lower teeth – lingual cusp protect the tongue.

13. Proximal Surface :
• Vertical clearance should be sufficient to permit physiologic contour of
the pontic and allow space for the interproximal tissue.
• Interproximal embrasures should be left open to permit easy cleaning.
• The sizes of the maxillary interproximal embrasures should be reduced
for the sake of esthetic. But sufficient space should be given to avoid
impingement to the interdental papilla.
• Wider embrasures are provided for posterior teeth for the better
cleansing and the mandibular molars are provided with the large
embrasures.

14. Buccal And Lingual Surfaces:
• The facial surface should be designed with the aesthetic as the primary
concern. It should resemble the adjacent teeth.
• The lingual surface is designed with hygiene as the primary concern.
• The embrasures are wider lingually then facially.
• The lingual surface should be designed such that it is similar to an
adjacent teeth from the cusp tip till the height of contour, then it
should recede sharply and concavely from the height of contour towards
the facial surface to form a pinpoint contact on the labial surface of the
residual alveolar ridge.

15. DESIGN CONSIDERATION FOR POSTERIOR
AND ANTERIOR PONTIC
Posterior Pontic
• All the surfaces should be convex,
smooth and properly finished.
• Contact with the buccal slope of the
ridge should be minimal and pressure
free.
• The occlusion table should be in
harmony with the occlusion of all the
other teeth.
• The overall length of the buccal
surface should be equal to that of the
adjacent abutments or pontics.
Anterior Pontic
• All surfaces should be convex, smooth and
properly finished
• Contact with the labial slope of the bridge
should be minimal (pinpoint) and pressure
free (modified Ridge lap design).
• A larger contact with the ridge is provided
for a natural look. If a pinpoint contact is
given for a case with the ridge resorption,
unaesthetic black spaces may become visible.
• Lingual contours should be in harmony with
that of the adjacent teeth

16. CLASSIFICATION OF PONTICS
According to Shillingburg:
I Based on Shape:
• Saddle/Ridge lap pontic
• Modified ridge lap
• Hygienic/sanitary pontic
• Ovate pontic
• Conical pontic
II Based on Material Used:
• Metal ceramic pontic
• Metal and resin veneered pontic
• Cast metal
• All ceramic pontic

17. III Pre-fabricated Pontics:
1. Trupontic
2. Interchangeable facing
3. Harmony pontic
4. Porcelain fused to metal facing
5. Pin facing
6. Reverse pin facing

18. According to Rosensteil:
I Pontics that Contact Oral Mucosa:
• Ridge lap
• Modified ridge lap
• Ovate
• Conical
II Those that Do Not Contact
Oral Mucosa:
• Sanitary pontic
• Modified sanitary pontic
• Bullet pontic

19. PONTIC SELECTION
The design of pontic for specific FPD is determined by:
• Retainers
• Esthetics
• Occluso-gingival height and mesio-distal width of edentulous area.
• Ridge resorption and contour.

20. TYPES OF PONTICS
Saddle Pontic:
• Forms a large concave contact with the ridge obliterating facial
lingual and proximal embrasures.
• Also called as ridge lap because it overlaps the facial and lingual
aspects of the ridge.
• This design has been recognized as unclean and uncleanable.
• It also causes tissue inflammation and hence, it’s not used.

21. Modified Ridge Lap Pontic:
• It possesses convex surface for ease of cleaning.
• There is slight facio-lingual concavity on facial side of the ridge, which
can be cleaned and tolerated by tissue.
• The contour of the tissue contacting area should be convex.
• It’s the most commonly used pontic design in combination with a
porcelain veneer, in esthetic zone for both maxillary and mandibular
FPD.

22. Hygienic/Sanitary/Wash Through Pontic:
• Its termed so as these pontics have no contact with
edentulous ridge.
• It’s used in areas that are not easily visible – mandibular 1st
molar.
• The occluso-gingival thickness of pontic should be minimum
3.0 mm along with adequate space underneath to facilitate
cleaning.
• Types – Conventional, bar type and modified sanitary pontic.
• The round design of the undersurface has been described as
“fish belly”.
• An esthetic version of this pontic can be created by
veneering those parts that are likely to be visible with
porcelain. This design is called arc-fixed partial
denture/modified sanitary/Perel pontic.

23. Conical Pontic:
• It’s rounded and cleanable, but the tip is small in relation to the
overall size of the pontic.
• Well suited for thin mandibular ridge.
• Its use is limited to replacement of teeth over thin ridges in areas
that are not highly visible.

24. Ovate Pontic:
• It’s a round-end design currently in use where esthetics is a primary
concern.
• The tissue contacting segment is bluntly rounded, set into a concavity in
ridge(created by extending one quarter of provisional FPD into socket
immediately after extraction or can be created surgically).
• It’s well suited for a broad flat ridge, giving appearance that it is
growing from the ridge.

25. OTHER DESIGNS
1) TRUPONTIC:
• It has a horizontal tubular slot running in the centre of
the lingual surface of the facing.
• Indicated in limited interarch distance.
2) FLAT BACK FACING/ INTERCHANGEABLE FACING
• It consists of a vertical slot in its flat lingual surface.
• Facing is retained by a backing with a lug(elevation),which
is designed to engage the retention slot.

26. 3) PIN FACING:
The lingual surface of the facing is flat and consists of
two pins for retention.
4) MODIFIED PIN FACING:
The flat lingual surface of the pin facing is modified by
adding additional porcelain onto the gingival portion of
its lingual surface.

27. 5) HARMONY FACING:
• Facing consists of a flat lingual surface with two
retentive pins.
• Not indicated for cases with decreased occluso-gingival
height as placement of the pins are difficult.
6) PORCELAIN FUSED TO METAL FACING:
• Facing consists of a metal core over which porcelain is
fused to closely resemble the contours of a natural
tooth.
• More esthetic.
• Indicated for anterior teeth.

28. SPECIAL PONTICS
1) Quinn’s Pontic
2) Arthur Lowery Pontic
3) Preformed pontic pattern
4) Pontic clasp
5) Aligner orthodontic pontic
6) Notch pontic system
7) Schwartz pontic
8) Hidden attachment pontics
9) Articulated pontics

29. PONTIC MODIFICATION
• In ridges with severe defects where two or more pontics must be used
to fill the space, it is uncommon to eliminate gingival embrasure spaces
between the pontics.
• The so-called black triangles can be very unesthetic, they collect plaque,
interfere with passage of floss and reduce rigidity of pontic span.
• In such situations, pink porcelain can be added to gingival embrasure
area of the pontic to simulate interdental papilla.
• The gingival extension of porcelain must be supported by the metal
framework.

30. PONTIC FABRICATION

31. • The full arch impression is poured, filling the prepared teeth and
one teeth on either side of them.
• The die is then trimmed.
• The dies are left attached with a common base, which will retain
the exact relationship of the two preparations.
• The dies are coated with cement spacer and lubricant.

33. Wax removed in previous step is added to the
underside of the pontic

34. More plaster is added to the facial surface of the
pontic.
If the FPD is to be cast in two pieces,3-0 suture
silk can be used to saw through the connector.

36. POST-INSERTION HYGIENE
• If cleaning is not done at frequent, regular intervals, the tissue around the
pontic will become inflammed.
• Hence, after an FPD is cemented, the patient should be taught appropriate
technique and should be motivated to practice good hygiene around and under
the pontic with dental floss, interproximal brushes or pipe cleaners.
• The embrasure areas of the pontic should be wide open to allow easy access for
cleaning and contact between pontic and tissue must allow passage of floss
from one retainer to another.
• The patient should be given time to learn the techniques.
• Homecare is evaluated at each appointment.

37. CONCLUSION
• The pontic design is said to determine the success and failure of the
bridge.
• Designs that allow easy plaque control are important to a pontic’s long
term success.
• Minimizing tissue contact by maximizing the convexity of the pontic’s
gingival surface is essential.
• Consideration is needed to create a design that combines easy
maintenance with natural appearance and adequate mechanical strength.

38. REFERENCES
• Fundamentals of fixed prosthodontics – By Schillingburg (4th
edition).

39. THANK YOU