ASPEN Dental Assisting Practice Exam

In a fixed partial denture, the part that replaces the missing natural tooth is the pontic. It sits between the supporting teeth (abutments) and completes the smile by filling the gap. A crown is used to restore an existing tooth, an abutment is the tooth that anchors the bridge, and the whole appliance is called a bridge. So the artificial tooth on a fixed partial denture is the pontic.