Dental Waxes Notes

Flashcards covering key concepts related to dental waxes, their classifications, properties, manipulation techniques, and applications in dental practice.

What is the melting range of dental waxes?

The range of temperatures at which each component of the wax will start to soften and flow.

What is the flow of dental wax?

The movement of wax as molecules slip over each other.

What can happen if excess residue remains after wax removal?

It may result in inaccuracies in the object being produced.

How does thermal expansion affect dental waxes?

Waxes expand when heated and contract when cooled; this expansion and contraction are greater than that of any other dental material.

Name the three classifications of dental waxes.

Pattern waxes, Processing waxes, and Impression waxes.

What is inlay wax used for?

Inlay waxes are used to prepare patterns for metal casting through the lost wax technique.

What is casting wax used for?

Casting waxes are used to construct the metal framework of partial and complete dentures.

What is baseplate wax primarily used for?

Baseplate wax is used mainly to make occlusion rims and to hold artificial teeth during denture fabrication.

What is the purpose of boxing wax?

Used to form a box around impressions of the mouth when a cast is made.

What is utility wax and its feature?

Utility wax comes in long ropes that are easily manipulated at room temperature.

What is corrective impression wax used for?

It is used in conjunction with other impression materials to take edentulous impressions.

What is bite registration wax used for?

It is used to produce wax bite registrations for articulation of models.

What is an important factor in the manipulation of waxes?

Softening of wax should be done evenly using dry heat, warm hands, a warm water bath, or by flame.

What is the lost wax technique?

It involves primary steps including pouring the die, waxing the die, spruing, attaching a sprue base, investing the wax pattern, burning out the wax, and finally casting the restoration.

Why is it important for dental assistants to understand dental waxes?

They may have occasion to use dental waxes in a variety of clinical and laboratory procedures.