Using Dental Wax To Prepare Mold For Dental Replacements

There are a couple of different types of dental wax being used today, but the most common is the one used by dentists to provide a mold for fillings, caps, crowns and bridges. While there are different manufacturers, many that use color to depict the hardness of the dental wax they produce, there are only three basic types; hard, medium and soft.

Softer dental wax is often used to provide better detail in an impression when false teeth are being designed to insure they meet the opposing set of teeth on an even scale. Taking dental impressions for identification purposes is typically done using dental wax as it can provide a clear picture of the appearance of the teeth. Although the wax is malleable and easily used to conform to various shapes, its typical use is to form a mold in preparation for dental materials to be formed into the proper shape.

Another type of dental wax, used outside the dentist's office, is usually available in strips that fit between braces and the gums or inside of the lips to prevent the metal devices from cutting or scratching the tender tissue on the inside of the mouth.

Molds Can Make Lasting Impression

When a dentist prepares to make false teeth, for example they can use dental wax to make a mold of the gums. Once this mold is designed, additional dental wax is used to make an impression of the opposite set of teeth to make sure that when the new artificial teeth is placed in the gum mold, they are properly aligned with the opposite set of teeth. Many times the dentist constructing the artificial teeth will design the piece one plate at a time, top and bottom, to insure the new ones align perfectly with the old ones.

Although, in some instances both top and bottom sets of dentures will be replaced at the same time, the dental wax is used to form the impression of the top and bottom gums and the teeth can then be placed in the proper alignment. Having impressions of the gums also helps insure the teeth are aligned straight so the replacement teeth meet properly, instead of creating an over or under bite.

When making a bridge to replace only a few teeth, the dental wax can insure the replacement plate will fit the area in the mouth in which it will sit. It also allows for the dentist to make sure the artificial teeth fill the gap as it is intended.