Dental

Waxes

variety
of natural
waxes and resins have been used in dentistry for specific and well
defined applications.
Waxes are thermoplastic materials which are solids at room
temperature but melt without decomposition to form mobile liquids.
They consist of two or more components which may be natural or
synthetic waxes, resins, oils and pigments.

Dental
Waxes
PATTERN WAXES
Inlay wax
Casting wax
Base plate wax
Wax rim
Shellac denture base

PROCESSING
WAX:
Sticky wax
Utility wax
Block-out wax
Boxing & beading
wax

IMPRESSION WAX:
Corrective wax
Bite registration
Impression
compound

THERMAL PROPERTIES OF WAXES

MELTING RANGE

Waxes have a melting range rather than a melting point.

Example :

Paraffin 44 62 C
Carnauba 50 90 C

Significance: Mixing of waxes can change their melting range.

COEFFICIENT OF THERMAL EXPANSION

Waxes expand when there is increase in temperature and contract

when there is decrease in temp.

Dental waxes have the greatest co-efficient of thermal expansion

than any other restorative materials in dentistry.

Eg : CTE of type 1 wax is[ between 22C and 37.5C ] is 32310-6

FLOW (of wax)

Is the slippage of wax molecules over each other.

Measure of flow is the measure of the degree of plastic deformation

of material at a given temperature

MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
Compressive strength, proportional limit, elastic modulus of waxes
are low.
These properties strongly depends on the temperature
As the temp decreases mechanical properties improve

Dental wax component

Dental waxes

Natural
waxes
Minerals
Plants
Insects
Animal

Synthetic
waxes

Additives
oil
color
fat
Natural resin
Synthetic resin

PATTERN WAX
Wax
Inlay wax

Casting wax

Base Plate

Wax/ Modelling
Wax ***

Wax rim (bite

rim)

Compositio
Functions
n
Paraffin wax It is used to make
patterns for metallic
Carnauba
restorations.
wax
Ceresin wax Patterns for inlays,
Bees wax crowns and bridges is
Gum
first made in wax and
dammar
then converted into
metal or ceramic by
casting.
(Classification(ADA Sp.
No. 4)
Paraffin wax Used to produce the
Gum
metallic component of
partial denture on the
dammar
cast.
Carnauba
wax
Ceresin or
candelilla
wax
Bees wax
Colouring
agent

Beesw Bite registration

Use for base plate, wax
ax
spacer, bite rim and
Paraf
tray expansion.
n
Used mainly in preparing
Colori
wax patterns
ng matter
for prosthesis.
The softening temp. is
above the mouth temp.
It is tough & resist
fracture during removal
from the cast.
It used for :
Restoring the occlusal
relationship.
Arrangement of teeth.

Types
Type I: Medium wax
employed in direct
technique.
Type II: Soft wax used
for indirect
technique for inlays
and crowns.

Class I : 28 gauge,
,Flow of about 10 %
at 35C Easily
adaptable at 40 to
45C
Class II :30 gauge,
,Minimum flow of 60
% at 38C ,adapts
well to the surface
,not brittle on
cooling
Class III: ready made
shapes, Will burnout
at 500C leaving no
carbon residue
,Supplied As Sheets
0.40 and 0.32 mm
thickness
__

__

Colour
Form
Green
Stick

pink

green

blue

Sheets
of pink
or red
color.

Pinkish,
Red
Block
and
sheet

Shellac denture
base/ shellac
base plate***

Check the denture inside

the patient mouth.
shella Wax like resin stable at
c
mouth temp.
stearin It has high softening
acid
temperature than other
talcum
waxes.
Colora
It is used as a temporary
nt and
denture base.
excipients.

__

Pinkishorange
Sheets
(cakes)

PROCESSING WAX
Wax
Sticky
wax***

Compositi
Function
on
Yellow
It is used to align
bees wax
fractured parts of
Resin
acrylic dentures.
Gum
It is used to align
dammar
fixed partial denture
units before
soldering.
To stabilize broken
denture until it is
seal.
Holding upper and
lower cast together.

Types
__

Colour, form and

charactheristics
Yellow
Stick
It is sticky when melted,
with a max 5 %flow at
30 C and 90 % at 43
C .
It adheres closely to the
surfaces when applied
to it.
If movement occurs the
wax tends to fracture
than distort.
At room temperature the
wax is brittle and
breaks easily
Orange or dark red in
color.
sticks and sheets.
In orthodontics,
periphery wax is white
in color
Flow at 37.5C- min. 65
% and max. 80% .
Pliable and tacky at 2124C

Utility Wax Blend

of It can be used to
alter the stock tray
Hydrocarbo
n Waxes
extensions.
Colorant &
Excipients

__

Boxing &
beading
waxes:

__

Supplied as :
Boxing wax as sheets.
(Soft and sticky) (Use
after make final
impression)
Beading wax as strips.
(2mm after short
sulcus) (Give shape of
cast) (Give final
impression at medial
and lateral surface)

__

Red

Block out
wax

Use:
Beading wax is
adapted around the
impression borders
to create the land
area of the cast
Boxing wax is used
to build up vertical
walls around the
impression in
order to pour the
gypsum product to
make a cast base.
(Border moulding)
Used for filling the
undercut area on
the cast during
processing of the
Cr-Co frame work.

IMPRESSION WAXES
Wax

Compositio
n

Function

Types

Colour
and Form
Red

Corrective wax

Wax in combination with

resins of low melting point
can be used in corrective
impression technique in
partial and complete
denture prosthesis.
The peculiarity of impression
wax is that they flow at
mouth temperature.
Used to restore the selected
region in the edentulous
patients to reproduce the
details of mucous
membrane.
Its main disatvantage is that
it is distorted during
remove from the undercut
areas.

__

Bite registration
wax :

It is used to record the

relationship of the upper &
lower teeth in dentulous
patients.

__

For individual tooth

impression
To check undercuts in inlay
preparation
Peripheral tracing or border
moulding

Type 1Impressi
on
compou
nd

Sticks/
High
fusing

For making preliminary

impression in edentulous
mouth
To make a special tray
To prepare a tray for making
an impression

Type 2Tray
compou
nd

Cakes
(sheets)/
Low
fusing

Impression
Compound/
Greenstick***

Resins(e.g.
wax)
Filler(e.g.
talcor
soapstone)
3.Lubricants
(stearicacid
orstearin)

sheets or
cakes