Good Morning,
Keep Smiling..
Dental Waxes
H I S T O RY
Wax has been a valuable commodity for over 2000 years. In
ancient times beeswax was used which was derived from
secretions that bees use to build honeycombs.
First inlay in dentistry is credited to JOHN MURPHY of london
who was fabricting porcelain inlay in 1855.
*First cast inlay is attributed to PHILBROOK in 1897.
CLASSIFICATION
classification based on uses
PATTERN WAXES
Usedcial
→artifi to resto
formratio
general
n. pre determined size &contour o
f an
Later it is replaced by more durable material such as cast
gold, cobalt- chrome- nickel alloys etc.
>Theyebit thermal changeni dimension and warpage no
PROCESSING WAXES
>Used primarily as auxillary aids ni constructing variety of
restorations and appliances.
IMPRESSION WAXES
Impression waxes, though rarely used to record
i al impertectionsni ther impressionstively usedot corect
sm
COMPOSITION
Components o f
d e n t a lW a x e s
Natural Synthetic
Additives
w a x e s w a x e s
1 . Mineral 1 . Polyethelene 1 . Oils
2 . Pl an t 2. Polyoxyethelen 2 . Colors
3 .Insect e 3. F a t s
4 . Animal 3 . Hydrogenated 4 . Natural
resins
5 . S y n th e ti c
resins
Most dental waxes contain 40% to 60% paraffin by
weight, which is derived from high-boiling fractions of
petroleum.
They are composed mainly of a complex mixture of
hydrocarbons of the methane series together with minor
amounts of amorphous and microcrystalline phases.
*The melting temperature generally increases with
increasing molecular weight.
*This condition promotes moldability of the wax below its
melting temperature.
* Paraffin wax is likely to flake when it is trimmed, and it does
not produce a smooth, glossy surface, which is a desirable
requisite for an inlay wax.
›Gum dammar, or dammar resin, is a natural resin. It is
added to the paraffin to improve the smoothness in molding
and to render ti more resistant to cracking and flaking.
*It so intreases hte otugh ofhte surfawax and enhances
* certain
Carnauba w ax occurs as a fine powder on the leaves of
tropical palms. This wax is very hard, and ti has a
relatively high melting point and it has an agreeable odor.
It is combined with the paraffin to decrease flow at mouth
temperature. Carnauba wax contributes greater
glossiness to the wax surface than dammar resin.
C a n d e l i l l a w a x c a n a l s o b e a d d e d partially o r entirely to
• replace carnauba wax. Candelilla wax provides the same
general qualities as carnauba wax but its melting point is
lower and it is not as hard as carnauba wax.
* Ceresin si typically a white wax extracted from ozokerite, awaxy
mineral mixture of hydrocarbons that is colorless or white when
pure, but ti has a somewhat unpleasant odor.
They may be used to increase the melting range of paraffin waxes.
*Catateco maxsi ew
ni prated apart ybcertain synthetic waxes
One is montan wax, a derivative hard wax that is obtained by
*solvent extraction of certain types of lignite or brown coal.
M o n t a n w a x e s a r e hard, brittle a n d lustrous; t h e y blend with other
w a x e s a n d therefore often substituted to i n c r e a s e t h e melting r a n g e
of paraffin waxes.
DESIRABLE PROPERTIES
.1 The wax should be uniform when softened..
The color should contrast with die materials or prepared
teeth.
3. The wax should not fragment into flakes or similar
surface particles when it is molded after softening.
.4 The wax must not be pulled away by the carving
instrument or chip a s it is carved or such precision
cannot be achieved.
Ideally, when wax melts and is vaporized at 500 °C, ti
should not leave a solid residue that amounts to more
than 0.10% of the original weight of the specimen.
6. The wax pattern should be completely rigid and
dimensionally stable at all times until it is eliminated.
Expansion and shrinkage of casting wax are extremely
sensitive to temperature.
*Normally soft wax shrinks more than hard wax. High-
shrinkage wax may cause significant pattern distortion
when ti solidifies..
TYPES OF INLAY WAXES
>Inlay waxes are used to prepare patterns.
»Type I is a medium wax employed in HIFLEX
HI FLEX
M
yru Carma Phar
direct techniques and type Il is a soft wax
used in the indirect techniques.
Inlay wax must exhibit excellent
adaptability to model or die surfaces, and
ti must be free from distortion, flaking, or
chipping during the preparation of
patterns.
PROPERTIES OF INLAY WAXES
THERMAL PROPERTIES
F L O W O F INLAY WAX
* One of the desirable
properties of type I inlay
wax is that it should exhibit
a marked plasticity or flow
at a temperature slightly
above that of the mouth.
* The temperatures at which
the wax is plastic are
indicated by the time-
temperature cooling curve
for a typical type I wax.
MANIPULATION
Waxes oxidize on heating, and on prolonged heating some
• waxes evaporate, so that the storage container for melted
wax will be coated by gummy deposits.
Therefore, care should be exercised to use the lowest
• temperature possible and to clean the wax pot and replace
the wax periodically.
To manipulate inlay wax, dry heat is preferred to the use of a
water bath.
The latter can result in the inclusion of droplets of water,
which can splatter on flaming, smear the wax surface during
polishing, and distort the pattern during temperature
changes.
*Tarved ot hte proper sontodeboverfled, and hte wxa hten
Astern, ruberg ot what hte margised orf afinal polishing fohte
S o m e clinicians prefer to apply finger pressure a s the wax is
cooling to help fill the cavity a n d prevent distortion during
cooling. The fingers also accelerate the cooling rate.
adas her enot onhet montogoes ni pdaiot
*Once the investment hardens (sets), no distortion of the pattern
will occur.
SPECIALITY WAXES
Baseplate Wax
Casting Wax
Sticky Wax
Boxing and Beading Wax
Impression Waxes
