Contents Introduction Classification Compositions Characteristics properties of waxes Melting range Thermal expansion Mechanical properties Flow Residual

Residual stresses Ductility Dental waxes

 Introduction Few procedures in dentistry can be carried to completion without the use of wax in one of its many forms. The formation of an inlay pattern , the boxing of an impression or the making of an impression,each requires a specially formulated wax.

 Waxes used in dentistry may be composed of natural and synthetic waxes, gums, fats, fatty acids, oils, natural or synthetic resins, and pigments of various types. The particular working characteristics of each of the dental waxes are achieved by the blending of appropriate natural and synthetic waxes, resins, and other additives,

 The specific physical properties of a wax or wax blend determines its usefulness for intended applications.

 In the past waxes were classified according to their origin as 1)mineral 2)plant 3)insect natural 4)animal Synthetic waxes are chemically synthesized analogs of the natural wax molecules.-more homogenous and pure.

Pattern wax a) inlay wax b) casting wax c) base plate Processing wax a) boxing wax b) utility wax c) sticky wax Impression wax a) corrective wax b) bite registration wax

 A better classification is based on their chemical composition The two principle groups of organic compounds contained in the waxes are hydrocarbons and esters, although some waxes contain free alcohols.

 Most mineral waxes contain hydrocarbons as their chief constituent, ranging from 17 to over 44 carbon atoms. The hydrocarbons in the plant waxes are saturated alkanes with 19 to 31 carbon atoms present in odd numbers.

 Plant and animal waxes contain considerable concentration of esters, and carnauba ( plant wax) contains 85% alkyl esters of various kinds. The principle esters in beeswax is myricyl palmitate. Which is the reaction product of myricyl alcohol and palmitic acid.

 Desirable properties When softened it should be uniform. The color should be in contrast with the die material. There should not be any flakiness or surface roughening after softening. It should not leave any residue during burnout. The wax pattern should be rigid and dimensionally stable.

 Paraffin wax Obtained from the high boiling point fractions of petroleum and are mixtures of chiefly straight chain saturated hydrocarbons containing from 26 to 30 carbon atoms. Ordinary commercial paraffin's melt in the range of 40-71oC Increasing the molecular weight increases the melting point.

 The presence of oils in the wax will lower the melting point. Paraffin's used in dentistry are refined waxes and have less than 0.5% oil. Likely to flake, does not present a smooth , glossy surface.

 Microcrystalline waxes Similar to paraffin waxes but are obtained from heavier oil fractions in the petroleum industry and as a result have higher melting points, 60-910 C.
Are more tougher than the paraffin wax. Average molecule containing 41to 50 carbon atoms.

Hardness and the tackiness can be altered by the additions of oils.

 Barnsdahl is a microcrystalline wax that has a melting point of 70-740 C and is used for increasing the melting range and hardness and reducing the flow of paraffin waxes.

Ozokerite is an earth wax found in the central Europe, has a melting range of 650 C It has a great affinity for oils and in quantities of 5 to 15% greatly improves the physical properties of paraffin wax.

 Ceresin is a term used to describe waxes from wax bearing distillates petroleum refining and lignite refining. They have higher molecular weight and greater hardness than the hydrocarbon waxes distilled from crude products. Used to increase the melting range of paraffin wax.

 Montan waxes- are obtained from various lignite's, and although they are mineral waxes their composition and properties are similar to the plant waxes. Melting temperature-72-920 C. Mixtures of Long Chain esters from 40 to 58 carbon atoms accompanied by free high molecular weight alcohols, acids and varying amount of resins. As a result they are hard, brittle,and lustrous and blend well with other waxes. Therefore substituted for plant waxes for improving the hardness and melting range of paraffin waxes.

 Carnauba and ouricury waxes are composed of straight chain esters, alcohols, acids, and hydrocarbons. They are hard, brittle and have high melting temperatures. Carnauba---84-910 C Ouricury----79-840 C They have the outstanding quality to improve the melting range of paraffin wax; for ex addition of 10%carnauba wax will increase the melting temperature of paraffin wax from 20 to 460 C.

 Candelilla waxes contain 40-60%paraffin hydrocarbon containing 29-33 carbon atoms, accompanied by free alcohols, acids, esters and lactones. Melting temperature68-750 C. Will harden the paraffin wax but are not effective in increasing the melting range.

 Japan wax and cocoa butter are not true waxes. Japan wax containing the glycerides of palmitic and stearic acid. Tough, malleable and sticky. Is mixed with paraffin to improve tackiness and emulsifying ability.

 Cocoa butter contains glycerides of palmitic, stearic, oleic, lauric and lower fatty acids. Is brittle at room temperature. Is primarily used to protect the soft tissues against dehydration and also to protect the glass ionomer from moisture during setting or to protect them from dehydrating after they are set.

 Beeswax Is the insect wax used in dentistry Is a complex mixture of esters consisting mainly of myricyl palmitate plus saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons and high molecular weight organic acids. Melting temperature of 63-700 C. Brittle at room temperature but becomes plastic at body temperature. Main component of sticky wax.

 Animal wax such as spermaceti has been used as a coating in the manufacture of dental floss.

 Synthetic waxes Are complex organic compounds of varied chemical composition. The following are some of the synthetic waxes that are available Polyethylene waxes, hydrocarbon waxes, hydrogenated waxes,wax esters from the reaction of fatty alcohols and acids. The remaining synthetic waxes are prepared by reactions with natural waxes or wax products.

 Gums Many waxes obtained from plants and animals resemble in appearance to group of substances called as gums. Most gums are complicated substances, are mixtures containing largely carbohydrates, and when mixed with water they either dissolve or form sticky, viscous liquids. Gum arabic and tragacanth are two natural gums that do not resemble waxes in either their properties or composition.

 Fats Chemically fats are composed of esters of various fatty acids with glycerol and are known as glycerides, which distinguishes them from waxes. Both are tasteless colorless and odorless in their pure form and feel greasy to touch. Hydrocarbon oils may be used to soften the mixtures of waxes and small quantities of silicone oils may be added to improve the ease of polishing the waxes.

 Resins Trees and other plants of many different species produce exudates of natural resins such as dammar, rosin, or sandarac. The natural resins are relatively insoluble in water. Are amorphous mixtures of organic substances. Most are obtained from trees and plants except shellac, which is produced by insects.

 Natural resins such as dammar and kauri are compatible with most waxes and when mixed will produce harder waxes. Synthetic resins such as polyethylene and vinyl resins may be added to paraffin waxes to improve their toughness, melting range and their film-forming characteristics.

 Copal is a natural resin that is brittle and has a melting range well above 1490 C, But when deposited as a film, it serves as a liner for prepared cavities.

 Characteristic properties of waxes. Melting range Waxes consist of similar types of molecules of different molecular weight and may contain several types of molecules, each having a range of molecular weights, hence they have melting ranges rather than melting points.

The melting range of paraffin wax is from 44-620 and for carnauba wax from 50-900. When a mixture of 75% paraffin and 25% carnauba wax was prepared, the paraffin component melted at essentially the same temperatures but the melting temperature of the carnauba wax was decreased slightly. Adding carnauba to paraffin wax increased the melting range to 440 compared with 180 for paraffin alone. The presence of 2.5% carnauba had little effect on the melting range, but the range increased rapidly as the concentration of the carnauba was increased to 10%. However concentration greater than 10% had no further effect on the melting range.

 Solid-solid transition temperature- as the temperature of a wax is raised, a solid-solid transition occurs where a stable crystal lattice form (orthorhombic) commences to change to a hexagonal form which is present below the melting point of the wax. It is during this progressive change from one lattice type to the other that waxes can be manipulated without flaking, tearing or becoming unduly stressed Waxes, which should remain rigid in the mouth, must have solid-solid transition temperature above 370 C.

 Thermal expansion The Expansion and contraction of dental waxes with changes in the temperature are pronounced. Mineral waxes generally have higher coefficients of linear expansion than plant waxes.

 Mineral waxes expand more because they have weak secondary valences. Plant waxes have high secondary valence forces because of high concentration of ester. Many waxes exhibit at least two rates of expansion b/w 220C and 520C. These changes in the rate of expansion occur at transition points. At these points the internal structural parts become free to move.

 Consequently after the wax has been heated through a transition point, it is free to expand. Because the ingredient waxes are undergoing transitions that do not coincide with one another, certain inlay waxes exhibit more than two changes in the rate of expansion.

Elastic modulus of various waxes The elastic moduli of various waxes b/w 230to 400 are shown. Carnauba wax having the highest value and the beeswax the lowest. The modulus of the inlay wax is important in the hygroscopic expansion of the casting investment, in which the wax pattern is subjected to stresses resulting from the expansion of the investment during setting. Using waxes having different elastic moduli for particular parts of the pattern can minimize non-uniform deformation of the wax pattern.

 For ex--lateral walls can be prepared with the inlay wax and the occlusal surfaces can be made of the soft green casting wax. At the investing temperature the modulus ratio for the inlay and the soft green wax is 7:1, which is the approximate ratio needed for many patterns to obtain uniform expansion at the occlusal compared with marginal areas

 Flow Slippage of molecules over each other. A measure of flow in the liquid state would be synonymous with viscosity. Below the melting point the measure of flow would be a measure of the degree of plastic deformation of the material at a given temperature.

 Yellow beeswax does not flow extensively until it reaches 380 C and at 400 it flows about 7%. Many mineral waxes have about 100C range b/w 1% and 7% flow, which indicates that these waxes soften gradually over a broad temperature range. Paraffin, ceresin, Barnsdahl flow 50% approximately 200C below their melting range.

 Residual stress Regardless of the method used to prepare the wax pattern, residual stress exists in the completed pattern. The thermal expansion is greater for the wax that is held under compression during cooling than for the annealed wax. When the specimen is held under compression during cooling the atoms and molecules are forced closer together than when they are under no external stress. After the specimen is cooled to room temperature and the load is removed, the motion of the molecules is restricted; this restriction results in the residual stresses in the specimen.

When the specimen is heated the release of the residual stress is added to the normal thermal expansion, and the total expansion is greater. When the specimen is cooled under tensile stress and the expansion

as a result of heating is measured, the release of residual stress in a dimensional change that is opposite to the thermal expansion. The sum of these two effects results in a lower thermal expansion curve than for the annealed wax.

 Ductility It increases as the temperature of the wax is increased. Waxes with a lower melting temperatures have a greater ductility at any given temperature than those with a higher melting temperature. The ductility is influenced by the distribution of the melting temperatures of the component waxes.

 A blended wax with components having a wide range of melting ranges generally has greater ductility. The softening point of the lowest component is approached first, a further rise in the temperature begins to liquefy this component, and will then approach the softening points of the higher-softening components. This tends to plasticize the entire wax mass and the ductility is enhanced.

 Classification
Pattern Inlay Casting
sheets ready shapes wax-up

Processing Boxing Utility Sticky

Impressions Corrective Bite

Baseplate

Inlay pattern wax For inlays, crowns and bridges. Composition 60% paraffin 25% carnauba 10% ceresin 5% beeswax hard.regular,or soft----flow Flow can be reduced with the addition of more carnauba wax or by the selection of higher melting paraffin wax.

They are produced in deep blue green or purple rods or sticks about 7.5 cm long and 0.64 cm in diameter.
PROPERTIES ADA sp no 4 has been formulated For waxes used in both the direct and the indirect technique. Type I and II are recognized .

 Type 1 (medium wax) wax is a hard wax that is prescribed for forming direct patterns in the mouth. Type 11-(soft wax) is a softer wax used for indirect wax technique. shows greater flow than type 1 at temperatures both above and below the mouth temperature. The maximum linear thermal expansion allowed between 250 and 300 is 0.20%; between 250 and 370 0.60% is allowed.

 Both types should soften without become flaky, and when trimmed to a fine margin, they should not chip or flake. Flow

 Thermal co-efficient of expansion

Once the wax pattern is carved, its removal from the tooth cavity and transfer to the laboratory brings about a reduction in temperature contraction. A decrease of 12 to 130C in temperature to a room temperature of about 240C causes a 0.4% linear contraction of the wax, or about 0.04% change for each degree change in temperature.

 Warpage Waxes, like any thermoplastics, tend to return partially to their original shape after manipulation, the property responsible for this is commonly known as elastic memory. The distortion is increased as the time and the temperature of storage increases. Related to the release of residual stress developed in the pattern during the process of formation.

 The molecules of the hydrocarbon content are deformed during manipulation either by force or thermal changes. At the lower end of the plastic range, the molecular deformation is greatest. At elevated temperatures the molecules tend to reorient themselves , and as a result warpage occurs.

 In general the higher the temperature of the wax at the time the pattern was adapted and shaped, the less will be the tendency for distortion.
One can minimize the incorporation of residual stress by heating the wax uniformly at 500C for at least 15 mins, by using warmed carving instruments and a warmed die, and by adding the wax to the die in small increments.

 The distortion is reduced when the storage temperature is kept to a minimum. It has been suggested that if it has to be stored for more than half-an hour, they should be kept in refrigerator. Should be allowed to warm to room temperature before it is invested. Margins should be readapted. Best is to invest the pattern immediately after it is completely shaped.

 Manipulation Dry heat is preferred to the use of water bath.. The wax should be twirled until it becomes shiny and then removed from the flame. Pressure should be applied by the clinicians finger or by the patient biting on the wax. Softer waxes produce larger castings than the harder waxes, because they expand more as the investment warms during setting and also they offer less resistance to the expanding investment during setting.

Casting wax Available in the form of sheets, Read-made shapes and in bulk. The casting wax sheets are used to establish minimum thickness in certain areas of the partial denture framework, to produce the desired contour of the lingual bar.

 Physical properties May possess a slight degree of tackiness, which helps to maintain their position on the cast. Flow properties Show a minimum of 10% flow at 350 C and a minimum of 60% flow at 380 C The Federal sp requires the casting waxes be bent double upon itself without fracture at a temperature of 230 C. They must vaporize at about 500oC with no residue other than carbon

 BASEPLATE WAX Derives its name from its use on the baseplate tray to establish the vertical dimension, the plane of occlusion, and the initial arch form. May also be used to form all or a portion of the tray itself. Pink color provides some esthetic quality in the initial stage of denture construction.

 Composition. 70-80% paraffin base or commercial resins. A typical composition may include 80% ceresin, 12% beeswax, 2.5% carnauba wax, 3% natural or synthetic resins, 2.5% microcrystalline or synthetic waxes. Physical properties. Supplied in sheets 7.60x15.00 x 0.13 cm either pink or red color.

Requirements of dental baseplate wax. Temperature min max practical requirement

 Boxing wax An occasional reference is made in the literature to carding wax for use in the boxing, carding wax was originally that material on which porcelain teeth were fixed when received from the manufacturers. Boxing wax is more correct according to common usage.

 Utility wax supplied in both stick and sheet form is dark red or orange. Sticky wax Contains rosin yellow beeswax, coloring matter, and other natural resins such as gum dammar.

 Corrective impression wax Is used as a veneer over an original impression to contact and register the detail of the soft tissues. It is claimed that this type of material records the mucous membrane and underlying tissues in a functional state. Contain hydrocarbon waxes such as paraffin, ceresin, beeswax and may contain metal particles. subjected to distortion during removal from the mouth.

 Bite registration wax Used to articulate accurately models of opposing quadrants. Made from 28 gauge casting wax sheets or from hard baseplate wax,certain bite waxes contain aluminum or copper particles. Are less susceptible to distortion on removal from the mouth.

Review of literatureFit of crown wax pattern after removal from the dieChassiel zeltser and Rafael Grajower The elevation and gap width at the bevel of patterns not removed from the die before investing was immeasurable. Significantly greater elevation and gap width at the bevel were obtained for the patterns to which 250 gm was applied than for the patterns that were not loaded after remodeling. Patterns removed from the die after initial carving and remodeled at the margin after replacement on the die had a more acceptable fit.

Effect of selected physical properties of waxes on investments and Casting shrinkageCasting accuracy was closely related to and significantly influenced by the flow characteristics, softening temperature, and bending strength of the wax. It was concluded that1) Casting shrinkage decreased when the flow of the wax pattern increased. 2) The flow of the pattern increased as the exothermic reaction increased. 3) A larger casting ring is suggested for castings when a relatively 4) Thick wax pattern or an inlay wax that has high strength, softening temperature, and low flow percentage is used.

 Effect of wax melting range and investment liquid concentration on the accuracy of a three-quarter crown casting. Four different wax were usedparaffin 135 with a softening temperature of 37.50 C, paraffin 1080 with a softening temperature of 63.50C, Shofu red with a softening temperature of 41.50C and shofu hard with a softening temperature of 510. Two mixtures of investment liquid were used-1) 100% special liquid 2) 25% special liquid and 255 distilled water. Results showed that for the facial measurement sites significantly different measurements were found for each wax, p 38 demonstrated the best results. Casting shrinkage was smaller with the use of 100% special liquid.

 References 1) Clinical restorative materials and techniques- Karl F. Leinfelder and Jack E. Lemons 2) Restorative Dental Materials 11th edition-Robert G. Craig and John M Powers. 3) Phillips Dental Material11th Edition. 4) The journal of prosthetic dentistry2002, 87 57-61---effect of melting range and investment liquid concentration on the accuracy of casting. 5)Effect of selected physical properties of waxes on investments and casting shrinkage- The journal of prosthetic dentistry1996;75 211-6

6) Rheology of dental waxesDental materials-2000 337-50 7) Fit of crown wax pattern after removal from the dieThe journal of prosthetic dentistry march-1985Vol-53 pg-344.