Stabilizing a Pontic with Wax

When one or both maxillary lateral incisors are missing, the treatment plan often calls for space to be established and maintained for eventual prosthetic replacement. Once the space has been opened, a bracketed denture tooth tied to the archwire can be the most esthetic temporary substitute (Fig. A).

To stabilize the pontic while tying it in with a stainless steel ligature wire, we place a strip of rimming wax over the lingual surfaces of the pontic and the adjacent teeth (Fig. B). Since this has become a frequent occurrence, we have prepared bracketed lateral incisor pontics of various sizes, shades, and materials (metal or ceramic) in advance to save chairtime.