Rejuvenating the Ovate Pontic

Abstract

The restoration of esthetics along with maintenance of healthy gingival tissues is of utmost importance when treating the maxillary anterior region. The resorption of the residual ridge or the irregularities in soft tissue often results in an unfavorable relationship with the pontic, compromising the final esthetic outcome. Various techniques have been developed to overcome this problem, among which tissue conditioning with controlled pressure proves out to be a boon as it is noninvasive. This article presents a case of a 27-year-old male with a missing central incisor with irregular soft tissue contour. A modified ovate pontic was used and the soft tissue was conditioned with a provisional restoration followed by a specialized impression technique aiming to record the conditioned tissue without any displacement. Esthetic emergence profile was achieved in final prosthesis without any adverse consequences on a long-term follow-up.