Prosthodontics & Occlusion · patient case question
Which pontic design is MOST appropriate?
Patient case: 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.
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.
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