WAXES

Year 3, 2018
Dr A Agha
 Learning Outcomes
You should be able to:
•  Identify the uses of the various dental waxes and
how these affect their clinical performance
•  Describe the physical properties of dental waxes
•  Have knowledge on synthetic and natural waxes
•  Compare the properties and manipulation of dental
waxes
 Introduction
Very few procedures in restorative dentistry can be
carried out without the use of wax, in one form or
another, for example:
•  Inlay pattern – accuracy for denture patterns
•  Boxing of an impression before poured (with
stone)
•  Impression for registration of occlusal bite
relationships
 Dental Waxes
•  Thermoplastic moulding material that is solid at
room temperature
•  Heating converts the wax to a liquid phase – easily
mouldable
•  Waxes are pyrolysed at some point; they melt
and/or decompose into water vapour and carbon
dioxide
 Waxes
•  Waxes are organic crystalline compounds
•  An individual wax has a sharp well-defined
melting point, above which it is a mobile
liquid, and below which is a solid; as such it
would be of little practical use.
•  For dental use manufacturers blend two or
more waxes, to give a material with a
softening temperature range over which it is a
useful mouldable material.
 Waxes In Dentistry
•  Composed of synthetic and 2 or more natural waxes, and
small amounts of additives (eg gums, fats, fatty acids, oils,
natural and synthetic resins, pigments of various types.
•  Their aim is to give a set of given properties over a
specific range of temperatures
•  Contain a range of molecular weights that affect the
melting and flow properties of waxes.
•  Chemical components of both natural and synthetic waxes
impart characteristic physical properties to the wax – this
determines their usefulness for the intended applications.
 Natural Waxes
•  Found distributed in nature
•  Complex combination of organic compounds
•  High molecular weight
•  Composition varies depending on source and
time of collection
 Natural Waxes Contd.
•  Paraffin obtained from petroleum. Melting range
40-70ºC
•  Microcrystalline obtained from heavier petroleum
fractions. Melting range 60-90ºC
•  Ceresin obtained from petroleum or lignite refining.
Melting range 61-78ºC - used to increase melting
range of paraffin wax.
•  Carnauba (known as ‘The Queen of Waxes’- leaves
of the Carnauba Palm, in Brazil). Melting range
84-91ºC. Used to increase melting range and
hardness of paraffin wax.
 Natural Waxes Contd.
•  Candelilla (small shrub) – Melting range 68-75ºC.
Hardens paraffin wax
•  Beeswax – Melting 63-70ºC. Used to modify
paraffin wax. Brittle at RT but plastic at body
temperature.
•  Spermaceti – from Sperm Whale (it’s head
contains this liquid wax). Used as coating on
dental floss.
 Synthetic Waxes
•  Produced by combination of various
chemicals in the laboratory or by chemical
action on natural waxes
 Synthetic Waxes
•  Usage on increase. Higher degree of
refinement eg:
a) Polyethylene (melting 100-105ºC)
b) Polyoxyethylene glycol (melt 37-63ºC)
c) Halogenated hydrocarbon
d) Hydrogenated hydrocarbon
e) Wax esters (reacting fatty acids & alcohols)
 Other Additives
•  Gums – eg gum arabic, tragacanth

•  Fats – esters of various fatty acids with

glycerol

•  Resins – Natural eg dammar, rosin or

shellac from insects -
Synthetic eg polyethylene and vinyl resins
 Classification of Waxes
Natural Waxes

i)  initially classified according to their

origin:

Mineral (Paraffin, Microcrystalline, Ceresin)

Plant (Carnauba, Candelilla)
Animal (Beeswax, Spermaceti)
 Classification of Waxes Contd.
ii) Better classified based on their chemical
composition:
•  hydrocarbons and esters (some contain free alcohols
and acids too).
•  Mineral waxes contain hydrocarbons ranging from
17-44 carbon atoms.
•  Plant waxes – saturated alkanes ranging from 19-31
C-atoms.
•  Plant and Animal waxes - hydrocarbons, esters, acids,
alcohols, resins.
 Structure
CH2 CH2 CH2
CH2 CH2 CH2

Straight-chain hydrocarbon (component of paraffin wax)

CH2 CH2 CH2

CH2 CH CH2

CH2

CH2
Branched-chain hydrocarbon (component of microcrystalline wax)
 Properties
•  Melting Range
A range of temperatures at which each component of the wax
will start to soften & then flow
•  Flow (movement of wax molecules which slip over each other;
at high temp the wax has low viscosity and flows
- The wax is mobile as it approaches the melting range.
- Control of the flow/melting range is important in
manipulating wax
- Clinic: the melting range for a bite registration wax needs to
be only slightly higher than mouth temperature
- Too high a softening temperature (than mouth temp)
uncomfortable for the patient
- Lab: waxes may have a much higher melting range
 Properties Contd.
•  Excess Residue (wax film remaining on an object after
wax removal).
- If excess residue remains, it may result in inaccuracies in
the item being produced.

- Important in the lost wax technique when the wax pattern

is melted out of the investment mold.
 Properties Contd.
•  Dimensional Change
- Waxes expand when heated & contract when cooled
- The thermal expansion & contraction of waxes is greater
than any other dental material.
- Important for pattern waxes-duplicate of the restoration
carved in the wax.
- If a wax is heated too far above the melting range or
heated unevenly, expansion above acceptable standards
will result in inaccuracies in the final casting.
- On standing, dimensional changes in waxes occur from
the release of residual stress (invested and cast within 30
min after carving the wax).
Dental Waxes
 Inlay Wax
•  Classification according to ADA Sp no 4
•  It is a pattern wax
•  Type 1 (medium) used for direct technique
•  Type II (soft wax) used for indirect
techniques
•  (inlays and crowns – made first in wax
and then converted into metal)
•  Used for making patterns of metallic
restorations, patterns for inlays
 Inlay Pattern Wax
Uses: Inlays, onlays, crown patterns
Ideal properties:
• Direct technique – soft and plastic above mouth temp.
• Indirect technique – solidifies below mouth temp.
• Can be carved without distortion or flaking
• Colour contrast from tooth or die
• Very low residue on vapourisation (<0.1% at 500ºC)
• Low thermal expansion coefficient (but high cf DMs)
• No distortion (at moulding temp – no stress set up)
Softening with dry heat
Constituents of Inlay Pattern Wax
•  Paraffin - 60% (weak – flakes on trimming so
additives needed)
•  Carnauba – 25%, increases melting range/glossy
surface
•  Ceresin – 10%, modifies toughness and carving
•  Beeswax – 4%, reduces flow of paraffin at mouth
temperature and reduces brittleness at RT
•  Dammar resin – 1%, improves smoothness,
resistance to cracking and flaking, and imparts
gloss to surface
 Casting Wax
Classification according to FDI specification No 140
Type of pattern wax used in patterns for partial denture
framework (ie construct metal framework of partial
and complete dentures
•  Exact composition not known but similar to inlay
wax.
•  Highly ductile ie can bend double at 23ºC without
cracking
 Casting Wax Contd.
•  Class A: 28 gauge, 0.40 mm, pink

•  Class B: 30 gauge, 0.32 mm, green

•  Class C: ready made shapes, blue.

Properties:
•  Flow: 35ºC-maximum, 10%
38ºC-minimum, 60%

•  Adaptable at 40ºC to 45ºC

•  Not brittle on cooling
•  burnt out without leaving residue (supplied as sheets)
 Modelling Wax: (Pink)
Eg: used for setting up of artificial teeth for full
dentures
Constituents:
•  Paraffin or ceresin (70-80%), beeswax (12%)
•  carnauba (2.5%), natural or synthetic resins
(3%),
•  microcrystalline or synthetic waxes (2.5%)
 Modelling Wax: (Pink) Contd.
Properties – should be:
•  Easily mouldable without tearing, flaking or
cracking
•  Easy to carve
•  Capable of melting and solidifying a number
of times without changing properties
•  No residue after removal with boiling water
and detergent.
 Carding or Boxing-in Wax
•  Type of processing wax - box as sheets and
beading as ribbon
•  Used i) to build up vertical walls around the
impression - box impressions before pouring with
gypsum and ii) as beading wax- adapted around
impression borders
Properties – should be:
•  pliable at RT
•  retain shape at 35ºC
•  slightly tacky
 Sticky Wax
Type of processing wax: an adhesive wax used for
temporary joining of articles eg align fractured parts
of acrylic dentures, align fixed partial denture parts
before soldering
Eg. preparatory to soldering
Constituents:
•  Resin (rosin), yellow beeswax,
gum dammar
 Sticky Wax Contd.
Properties:
•  At room temperature hard and brittle
•  When melted will adhere closely to applied
surface
•  It is sticky when melted
•  Fractures when movement occurs (instead of
distorting)
Impression Wax (corrective or bite
wax)
Used for occlusal registry (edentulous impressions)
Constituents:
•  Hydrocarbon waxes (paraffin, ceresin, beeswax)
and metal particles (Al or CU)
Properties:
•  Limited to edentulous portions of mouth - distorts
when withdrawn from undercut areas.
•  Soft at mouth temperature - flows at mouth
temperature (rigid at RT)
•  Available in sheets and cakes
 Other Waxes
Wax rim (bite rim)
•  Type of pattern wax Stick form
•  Softening temperature
above mouth temp.
•  Tough and resists fracture Bite block
•  Used for restoring occlusal
relationship
•  Arrangement of teeth
 Other Waxes Contd.
•  Utility wax used to adapt
border of impression tray
(rope wax) (strips or sheets)
•  Shellac denture base
Type of wax like resin,
which is stable at mouth
temperature and has a high
softening point
 Other Waxes Contd.
Base Plate Wax
Classification (ADA No 24)
Type of pattern wax
Uses: mainly for preparing wax patterns for
prosthesis
Supplied as: red or pinks sheets
 Dental Waxes
•  Composed of 3 major components
–  A base wax (usually paraffin)
–  Modifier waxes (contribute properties eg
increased hardness, stickiness, or brittleness)
–  Colorants (~1% of the composition)
–  No fillers present - pyrolysed