Pontic
Pronunciation: PON-tik
The artificial tooth in a fixed dental bridge that replaces a missing natural tooth and spans the edentulous space.
Full Definition
A pontic is the suspended false tooth component of a fixed dental bridge, held in place by the crowns (retainers) cemented to adjacent natural teeth or implants. It does not rest directly on the alveolar bone but may contact the gingival tissue in various designs (e.g., ovate, ridge-lap, sanitary). Editors working on dental laboratory prescriptions, prosthetic records, or insurance narratives must correctly distinguish the pontic from the retainer crowns and abutment teeth described in the same document. The material of the pontic (e.g., porcelain-fused-to-metal, zirconia) is typically specified alongside the term.
Usage
Usage note: Do not capitalise mid-sentence. Distinguish clearly from 'abutment' when editing bridge descriptions, as the two terms are frequently conflated.
In Context
- "The lab prescription specified an ovate pontic in the second premolar position with full-zirconia construction." — Dental laboratory prescription
- "Editors should note that the pontic is distinct from the abutment crowns described later in the prosthetic report." — Prosthetic treatment report