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Dental
waxes
 Dental waxes
• Waxes have several applications in
dentistry.
Components of dental waxes

Natural wa Synthetic w Additives

xes axes

•Mineral •Acrawax C •Stearic acid

•Plant •Aerosol O T •Oils
•Insect •Castorwax •Colorants
•Animal •Aldo 33 •Resins
 Natural waxes
 Complex combination of organic compound
s of high molecular weights.
 Two principle groups of organic compounds
contained in waxes are-

HYDROCARBONS &
ESTERS
 Natural waxes

• Mineral waxes-distillation product

of petroleum
• Parrain
• Microcrystalline
• Barnsdahl
• Ozokerite
• Ceresin
• Montan
Plant waxes
Eg)carnaubua wax-occurs
as fine powders on leaves
of certain tropical plants

Insect wax
Eg –bee wax
 Synthetic waxes
Natural waxes are not consistent in their
composition and properties, so to
overcome this synthetic waxes are
used.
• They are highly refined Acrawax C
• Eg)
• Aerosol OT
• Castorwax
• Aldo 33
 Wax additives
• Fats
• Oils
• Resins
• Gums- to improve the properties of
wax
Fats
• Increase the melting range and the h
ardness of compound waxes.
 Oils
• Hydrocarbon oils - soften mixture of
waxes.

• Silicone oils - improve the ease of po

lishing with waxes.
Resins
• Most natural resins are obtained from
trees and plants.

• improve toughness, hardness, meltin

g range of waxes
Properties
of
waxes
 Melting range

• They have melting range rather than

melting point.
• Mixing of waxes change their melting
range
 Thermal expansion
• Expand when temp. is risen

• Contract when temp. is decreased

• Dental waxes have the largest coefficien

t of thermal expansion.
 Mechanical properties
• The elastic modulus, proportional limit
and compressive strength of waxes ar
e low compare with those of other ma
terials and these properties depend str
ongly on the temperature.
 Flow
• Flow is dependent on the temp. of the
waxes.

• Flow is greatly increase as the melting

point of the wax is approached.
 Ductility
• Ductility increase as the temp of a wax is
increase

• Waxes with lower melting temp. have a

greater ductility.

• The highly refined waxes is quite brittle

Dental wax - Classification
• Pattern waxes
• Processing waxes
• Impression waxes
 Pattern wax
• An artificial dental restoration is first made
with pattern wax,whch is later replaced
with permanent material eg)cast gold
alloys, co-cr-ni alloys or poly methyl
methacrylate resin
1)Pattern waxes

1.Inlay waxes

2.Casting waxes 3.Baseplate waxes

2)Processing wax

• Used primarily as auxillary aids in th

e construction a variety of restoratio
ns and appliances either clinically or
in the laboratory
Processing waxes

1.Boxing waxes
2.Utility waxes

3.Sticky waxes

4.Carding waxes
3)Impression waxes

• Used for taking impression within

the mouth.
– Bite registration waxes
– Corrective waxes
Alu wax

Korecta wax
1.Inlay waxes
Inlay wax : Composition

Paraffin (major por Carnauba

tion) Candelilla
Microcrystalline wa Beeswax
x
Ceresin
Inlay waxes generally are produce
d in deep blue, green, or purple ro
ds or sticks.
The flow can be reduced by adding
more carnueba wax or by selecting
higher melting paraffin waxes.
Inlay pattern wax
 Inlay pattern wax
• A pattern of the wax is first constructed in
inlay wax .
 Inlay pattern wax
• The pattern then is embedded in a gy
psum-silica investment material to for
m a mold with an ingate or sprue leadi
ng from the outer surface of the inves
tment mold to the pattern.
 Inlay pattern wax
• The wax is subsequently eliminated by h
eating & softening and the mold is furth
er conditioned to receive the molten
metal.
 Inlay waxes : Properties

ANSI/ADA Specification No. 4 for dent

al inlay casting wax.
Type I wax = a hard wax that is prescrib
ed for forming direct patterns in the mout
h.
Type II wax = a softer wax that is used
as an indirect technique wax.
 Flow
The working temperature for making dire
ct wax pattern must not to be so high as
to cause damage to the vital tooth structu
re.
At mouth temp., direct inlay wax must ha
ve essentially no flow to minimize the pos
sibility of distortion of the pattern during
removal from the tooth cavity.
 Casting wax
The pattern for the metallic framework of r
emovable partial denture and other similar
structures is fabricated from the casting w
axes.
Casting wax : Composition
The ingredients are similar to tho
se found in inlay waxes.
 Baseplate wax

Baseplate wax derives its name fro

m its use on the baseplate tray in t
he technique for complete denture
restoration.
It’s normally pink color.
Baseplate wax
Baseplate wax : Composition
70-80 % paraffin or ceresin
small quantities of other waxes & addit
ives.
typical composition
– 80% ceresin - 12% beeswax
– 2.5% carnuaba
– 3% natural or synthetic resins
– 2.5% microcrystalline or synthetic wax
Baseplate wax : Properties

ANSI/ADA Specification No.24

– Type I - Soft, building contours and
veneers
– Type II - Medium, patterns in mouth,
normal climates
– Type III - Hard, patterns in mouth,

in tropical climates
Practical requirements

Linear thermal expansion from 25o-40oC

< 0.8%
Softened sheets shall cohere readily witho
ut becoming flaky or adhering to fingers
No irritation of oral tissue
trim easily with a sharp instrument at 23oC
Practical requirements

Smooth surface after gentle flaming

No residue on porcelain or plastic teeth
Coloring shall not separate or impregnat
e plaster during processing
No adhesion to other sheets of wax or s
eparating paper on storage
 Beading &Boxing wax
Used to build up vertical walls around the
impression,in oder to pour the stone and
make the cast
ADVANTAGES OF BEADING & BOXING

1)Preserves the extensions & landmarks

2)Controls the thickness of borders

3)Controls the form and thickness of the base

of cast

4)Conserves the artificial stone

Boxing wax: Working properties
Federal specification No U-W -138
Smooth, glossy surface on flaming
Pliable at 21o C, retain shape at 35o C
Seals easily to plaster with hot spatula
 Utility wax
Used in numerous instance
most likely consists of beeswax, petrol
atum and other soft waxes
Used to adjust contour of perforated tray
for the use with hydrocolloid(to raise flange
height, to extend the tray posteriorly and
to raise palatal portion of the tray in case
of deep palate)
 Sticky wax
It is sticky when melt and adheres closely
to the surface on which it is applied.
It is firm, free from tackiness and brittle a
t room temp.
Rosin & yellow beeswax are the usual maj
or constituents.
Used for assembling/joining metal parts
before soldering and for joining fragments
of broken repair procedure
Corrective impression wax
Used as a wax veneer over an original im
pression to contact and register the detai
l of the soft tissue .
To record posterior palatal seal in
dentures
Formulated from hydrocarbon waxes suc
h as paraffin,ceresin & beeswax and may
contain metal particles
o
The flow at 37 C is 100 %
Corrective impression wax
Bite registration wax
Used to record the relationship
bwn upper and lower teeth .this is
necessary to mount cast correctly
in articulator
Formulated from beeswax or hydro
carbon waxes such as paraffin or c
eresin and contain alumina or copp
er particle
Bite registration wax

• Alu wax
 Bite registration wax

• Occlusal indicator wax