Start practicing

Prosthodontics & Occlusion · patient case with 2 questions

Planning an anterior fixed partial denture

Patient: 44-year-old woman.

Chief complaint: Wants the gap at the front filled.

History: Missing a maxillary canine. Plan is a fixed bridge from the lateral incisor to the first premolar.

Findings: Sound abutment teeth with good bone support. Adequate ridge form with a smooth, flat contour. High smile line — the cervical area of the pontic will be visible.

Question 1

Which pontic design is MOST appropriate?

  1. Hygienic (sanitary)
  2. Saddle ridge lap
  3. Modified ridge lap
  4. Conical
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: C. Modified ridge lap

  • A. A hygienic pontic sits clear of the ridge entirely. Excellent for cleansability but unacceptable esthetically in an anterior site, so it is reserved for mandibular posterior spans.
  • B. A saddle (full ridge lap) pontic overlaps both facial and lingual slopes. It is impossible to clean beneath and causes tissue inflammation — it is contraindicated.
  • C. CORRECT. The MODIFIED RIDGE LAP is the standard anterior pontic. It contacts the ridge only on the FACIAL aspect, which delivers the esthetic illusion of a tooth emerging from the tissue, while the lingual surface is relieved so the patient can pass floss and keep it clean.
  • D. A conical (ovate-adjacent) pontic suits thin, knife-edge mandibular posterior ridges where the rounded tissue contact is cleanable and esthetics are secondary.

Permanent page for this question

Question 2

Why is a provisional restoration important in this case?

  1. To maintain esthetics while the definitive prosthesis is fabricated
  2. To permanently prevent caries in the abutments
  3. To eliminate the need for a definitive impression
  4. To increase the bond strength of the final cement
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: A. To maintain esthetics while the definitive prosthesis is fabricated

  • A. CORRECT. In an ANTERIOR case the patient-facing reason is ESTHETICS — she cannot go weeks with a visible gap and unprepared abutments. The provisional also protects the pulp, maintains tooth position and occlusal relationships, and lets soft tissue contours be shaped and evaluated before the definitive prosthesis is made.
  • B. A provisional protects prepared dentin only while it is in place. It does not confer lasting caries protection.
  • C. A definitive impression is still required regardless of the provisional.
  • D. Provisional cement has no effect on the bond strength of the definitive cement; residual provisional cement must in fact be cleaned off thoroughly.

Permanent page for this question

Practice patient cases Prosthodontics & Occlusion study notes