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PONTIC THEORY (1-29-07)

Pont, pons bridge

Pontic an artificial tooth on a partial denture that replaces a missing natural tooth, restores its

functions and usually fills the space preiously filled by the natural cro!n"

Pontics used for#

$estoration of %orm and %unction

- &esthetics single most reason !hy patients !ant treatment

- mastication- lip, chee' tongue support (important for facial form-profile)

- phonetics

- arch and interarch integrity (preenting drifting, rotation, supereruption)

$ules

1" Passie tissue contact must not put positie pressure on ridge or tissue !ill remodel

andor necroti*e

2" +ontact must occur on 'eratini*ed tissue if not, may cause inflammation necrosismore of a problem on mandible, usually not a problem on maillary

Perio response

- hope pt.s anatomy body adapt to foreign body

- materials are biocompatible

- failures can be due to hypersensitiity rn- morphology is most important factor in determining response

/ Periodontally, the best pontic is no pontic at all

- gingia doesn.t mind being eposed in edentulous areas but bone doesn.t li'e to

it resorbs (a lot at first, then slo!s)-gingia loes to be gently rubbed, but bad pontic rubs too harshly

-morphology of pontic (esp" underside of pontic) must allo! flossing

Design theory of Ant. Pontics /3hape is far more important than the material

- 4odified ridge lap or 3emi-ridge lap

- ertical length in gingial direction may need increased bc of bone resorption

- need full form for lip support

- underside has uniconcae shape (biconcae creates bridge !here floss doesn.t

touchcontact)

- must floss on the diagonal to clean properly

- 5-shaped passie tissue contact on labial ridge

- for esthetics (loo's real)

- good adaptation

- minimal air escape (phonetics)- still cleansable

Design theory of Post Pontics

-%ull ridge lap design (/6ot to be used in %P, only in $P, bc cannot be cleaned properly)

-all contours and ridge replaced

-cleansability decreases !hich leads to ridge inflammation

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- consider !hen large area of ridge is missing

-4ini Pontic

-8uccal ingual cut bac'

-causes decreased hori*ontal oerlap and thus chee' tongue biting during

mastication-decreases buccal occlusal esthetics

-increased food pac'ing and annoying tongue habits-decreases intercuspal distance

-:eart-shaped Pontic

-ape of pontic has passie or no tissue contact

-8uccal is cut bac' but occlusal is unmolested

- cleansable (for people !ho can.tdon.t floss) by toothbrush

-loss of buccal esthetics is a small price to pay for not flossing

-;cclusal portion only Pontic (3imple Pontic)

- bad esthetics, traps food, increased annoying tongue habits

-connectors are triangle shaped ! rounded corners, located buccal to central fossa 2"buccal height of contour, 8>buccal

cusp tip, +>lingual cusp tip, >lingual height of contour)

&-8 > esthetic8-+ > occlusal

-& > periodontal cleansability