Restorative & Materials · single question

Which pontic design is generally considered the worst for oral hygiene/cleansability due to its contour wrapping over the edentulous ridge?

  1. Saddle pontic
  2. Modified ridge-lap pontic
  3. Hygienic pontic
  4. Ovate pontic
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Correct answer: A. Saddle pontic

The saddle (full ridge-lap) pontic, which wraps over both the buccal and lingual/palatal aspects of the edentulous ridge, is generally considered the most difficult pontic design to clean/sanitize, due to the extensive tissue contact area trapping plaque. Modified ridge-lap designs (contacting only the buccal aspect) improve hygiene access, while hygienic/sanitary pontics (with a gap between the pontic and ridge) are specifically designed to maximize cleansability at some esthetic cost.

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