Ideal Pontic Requirements in Dentistry

Ideal Pontic Requirements

• Tissue contacts should appear as normal tooth
• Lower lip line helps evaluate buccolingual position of the incisal edge and the curvature of the incisal plan
• In excessive bone loss, pontic can be constructed with a length that coincides with clinical requirements, but pink porcelain can be added to simulate gingival tissue for esthetic reasons
• Root can be stained to simulate exposed dentine
• Pink porcelain can be used to simulate the gingival tissues

Biologic Requirements

• The pontic must be hygienic, allowing for maintenance of high oral hygiene standards
• Pontic design should provide good access for cleaning and prevent soft and hard tissue irritation
• The tissue surface of the pontic should be designed to prevent problems to the underlying soft tissue, such as ulceration and inflammation, by pressure
• The pontic should not cause irritation or inflammation to the underlying soft tissue by improper food staff shading

Material Selection

• Glazed porcelain and highly polished metal (gold) are preferred materials for tissue contact
• Glazed porcelain is the preferred material for areas of the pontic that approximate the edentulous ridge
• Resins should not be used near the soft tissue due to their porous nature and difficulty in obtaining a highly polished surface

Mechanical Requirements

• The pontic must be strong enough to withstand force without deformation
• The pontic should be rigid and resistant to deformation
• Part of the pontic that is subject to force is usually made of metal or supported by it

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 a more labial position
• The modified ovate pontic does not require as much faciolingual thickness to create an emergence profile
• The modified ovate pontic has excellent esthetics, fulfills functional requirements, and allows for greater ease of cleaning compared to the ovate pontic

Designs (Types) of Pontic

• Hygienic Pontic (Sanitary, Wash Through):
  • Made entirely from metal
  • Doesn't have any contact with underlying tissue
  • Primary design for the non-appearance zone in mandibular posterior regions
  • Most cleansable, convex shaped, and 3 mm space
• Modified Hygienic Pontic (Archway Pontic):
  • A modified version of the sanitary pontic
  • Gingival portion is shaped like an archway between the retainers
  • Made entirely from metal, doesn't have any contact with underlying tissue
  • Primary design for the non-appearance zone in mandibular posterior regions

Pretreatment Assessment of Pontic Area

• Available Pontic Space:
  • One function of the FPD is to prevent tilting or drifting of the adjacent teeth into the edentulous space
  • Space available for the pontic may be reduced if such movement has already occurred
• Residual Ridge Contour:
  • An ideally shaped ridge should have a smooth, regular surface of attached gingiva and sufficient height to allow placement of the pontic
  • Loss of residual ridge contour may lead to unaesthetic open gingival embrasures (black triangles) and food accumulation

Classification of Residual Ridge Deformities

• Siebert's classification:
  • Class I defects: faciolingual loss of tissue width with normal height
  • Class II defects: loss of ridge height with normal ridge width
  • Class III defects: combination of loss in both dimensions

Movable Joint (Key-Key Way, Slide Channel)

• Stress-breaking design of joints that allows some movement between the components of the joint
• Consists of two pieces: the key slide and the key way channel

Principles of Connector Design

• Size: Connectors must be sufficiently large to prevent distortion or fracture during function, but not too large to interfere with plaque and periodontal tissue
• Shape: The shape of the tissue surface of connectors must be curved faciolingually, highly polished, and smooth to facilitate cleaning with satisfied appearance
• Position: The location of the contact area must be established correctly to influence the success and stability of the prosthesis

Evaluate pontic requirements in dental restoration, including tissue contacts, incisal edge position, and esthetic considerations in excessive bone loss cases.