Dental Waxes:
History of Dental Waxes:
➢ Beeswax was used before
➢ Beeswax is still used today, but modern waxes have been designed for dental procedures
○ They are made from:
■ Natural plant, and animal sources, some are derived from petroleum
products (synthetic)
➢ Carnauba and Candelilla wax: 2 commonly used waxes that are derived from trees and plants
respectively.
➢ Animal-derived beeswax and other dental waxes are produced from components of fats,
gums, oils, and resins.
Dental Waxes:
➢ Thermoplastic molding material that is solid at room temperature
➢ Organic molecules in waxes are composed primarily of
○ Long chains containing carbon, hydrogen, oxygen
➢ General Composition of Dental Waxes:
○ Base Wax:
■ Hydrocarbon: paraffin
■ High or low MW
○ Modifier Waxes: contribute to properties such as increased hardness, stickiness, or
brittleness.
■ Hydrocarbon or ester types
■ High or low MW
○ Colorant: 1%
➢ Paraffin is the major component of all dental waxes
➢ Components could be natural from minerals, plants, animals, or synthetic waxes.
Wax Functions:
➢ Paraffin Wax:
○ Main ingredient
○ Used to establish a melting point
, ○ Likely to flake while trimming (brittle)
○ Does not have a glossy surface, modifiers are added.
➢ Carnauba and Candelilla Wax:
○ Added to increase the melting range, decrease the flow at the mouth temperature.
○ Contribute to glossiness of the wax surface
➢ Ceresin, Gum Damar resin, Bees Wax:
○ Modify the toughness and the general working and carving characteristics of wax.
Properties of Waxes:
1. Melting Range:
➢ Because waxes are a mixture of different components, they do not melt at a single
temperature and do not have a melting point. They have a melting range
➢ Melting range: a range of temperatures at which each wax component will start to
soften and then flow
➢ The components with lower melting points will soften first
➢ As the temperature increases, more components will soften, and the wax will
eventually flow and eventually become a liquid or vaporize.
➢ The liquid+solid range in between is quite broad (almost 40^C)
➢ For the wax to flow:
○ The temperature only has to be heated to a point within the liquid+solid range
or up to the point of the liquidus line but not higher
○ If the temperature goes or there is excessive heating, it might cause
decomposition.
History of Dental Waxes:
➢ Beeswax was used before
➢ Beeswax is still used today, but modern waxes have been designed for dental procedures
○ They are made from:
■ Natural plant, and animal sources, some are derived from petroleum
products (synthetic)
➢ Carnauba and Candelilla wax: 2 commonly used waxes that are derived from trees and plants
respectively.
➢ Animal-derived beeswax and other dental waxes are produced from components of fats,
gums, oils, and resins.
Dental Waxes:
➢ Thermoplastic molding material that is solid at room temperature
➢ Organic molecules in waxes are composed primarily of
○ Long chains containing carbon, hydrogen, oxygen
➢ General Composition of Dental Waxes:
○ Base Wax:
■ Hydrocarbon: paraffin
■ High or low MW
○ Modifier Waxes: contribute to properties such as increased hardness, stickiness, or
brittleness.
■ Hydrocarbon or ester types
■ High or low MW
○ Colorant: 1%
➢ Paraffin is the major component of all dental waxes
➢ Components could be natural from minerals, plants, animals, or synthetic waxes.
Wax Functions:
➢ Paraffin Wax:
○ Main ingredient
○ Used to establish a melting point
, ○ Likely to flake while trimming (brittle)
○ Does not have a glossy surface, modifiers are added.
➢ Carnauba and Candelilla Wax:
○ Added to increase the melting range, decrease the flow at the mouth temperature.
○ Contribute to glossiness of the wax surface
➢ Ceresin, Gum Damar resin, Bees Wax:
○ Modify the toughness and the general working and carving characteristics of wax.
Properties of Waxes:
1. Melting Range:
➢ Because waxes are a mixture of different components, they do not melt at a single
temperature and do not have a melting point. They have a melting range
➢ Melting range: a range of temperatures at which each wax component will start to
soften and then flow
➢ The components with lower melting points will soften first
➢ As the temperature increases, more components will soften, and the wax will
eventually flow and eventually become a liquid or vaporize.
➢ The liquid+solid range in between is quite broad (almost 40^C)
➢ For the wax to flow:
○ The temperature only has to be heated to a point within the liquid+solid range
or up to the point of the liquidus line but not higher
○ If the temperature goes or there is excessive heating, it might cause
decomposition.
