Types of Dental Waxes Overview

A mixture of different waxes and additives used in dentistry for various purposes, including casting, denture bases, and jaw relation registration.

Organic compounds with variable melting points and properties, possibly containing impurities, derived from natural sources.

Used for taking accurate impressions, often used with alginate to improve peripheral molding and patient comfort. They may be soft or pliable.

Used for constructing wax patterns used in the lost-wax casting technique for metal restorations, which are then replaced with a different material.

A technique used in dental labs to create metal restorations by melting away wax patterns and replacing them with metal or other materials.

A type of dental wax used for constructing non-metallic denture bases.

A type of dental wax used to create precise borders on impressions.

Dental waxes produced with controlled processes, which results in uniform quality and consistent properties.

Wax used in dental labs for making dental restorations, characterized by strength, stability, fine detail, easy carving, and clean burnout (no residue).

Wax used to create complex shapes for partial dentures, focusing on accuracy and flexibility, often used for clasps and bars.

Dental waxes used in the dental lab process, not the final prosthesis, aiding in lab tasks like boxing, creating borders and isolation.

White processing wax used for creating borders and bases for dental lab preparation, known for its pliable quality.

Red processing wax used in the dental lab, pliable and sticky to isolate surfaces, providing borders for dental lab materials.

Wax channels used to create pathways for metal, ceramic, or acrylic to flow into dental restorations, creating tube-like passages.

Very hard wax used in dental lab procedures to create specific shapes and defined areas.

Pattern waxes used for the surface of maxillary major connectors, in dental labs to ensure accurate fit and design.

A type of polymerization where small molecules, like water or alcohol, are released as a byproduct, resulting in a final polymer with smaller mers than the original monomers.

A polymerization process where all atoms of the monomers are incorporated into the final polymer without any byproducts, leading to less shrinkage.

The first step in polymerization where an external source (heat, light, or chemicals) activates a monomer, creating an active site that allows other monomers to attach.

The stage where monomers continually attach to the growing polymer chain, adding to its length without the need for additional energy.

The final step in polymerization where the reactive center of the growing polymer chain is neutralized, stopping its growth.

A method of curing acrylic resins using heat and pressure, activating the initiator Benzoyl Peroxide (BPO).

A method of curing acrylic resins using a chemical activator (dimethyl-p-toluidine) to activate the initiator BPO. This process occurs at room temperature.

Acrylic resins are cured using light, typically a blue light source, to activate the initiator camphoroquinone.

Polymers that can be softened by heat and pressure, then cooled without changing their chemical composition.

Polymers that solidify during fabrication and cannot be softened by heat without altering their chemical composition.

The sensitive tissue located in the front of the mouth, between the front teeth, which can be irritated by pressure or certain materials.

A temporary device made of wax that prevents teeth from coming together during a dental procedure, particularly on patients with most or all of their teeth.

Long, chain-like molecules made up of repeating units called monomers, these units are joined together to form large structures.

The first acrylic polymer used in dentistry, originally for denture bases, it's known for its strength and resistance to chewing.

The basic building block of a polymer, a larger structure composed of oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon atoms.

The process of joining polymer chains together with covalent bonds, increasing the overall strength and stiffness of the material.

The mass of a molecule, determined by the number of atoms it contains; longer chains have higher molecular weight.

The process of converting monomers into polymers by joining them into long, repeating chains.