Wax Pattern
Fabrication
Dr. Mohamed El Halawani
Definition
✤ A Wax Pattern is a wax form that is the positive likeness of an object to be
fabricated.
✤ It should duplicate the final form of the tooth being restored.
Armamentarium
✤ PKT waxing instruments #1-5
✤ Wax spatula no.7
✤ Sable brush
✤ Beavetail burnisher
✤ Wax-based pencil for marking finish lines
✤ Die lubricant
✤ Cotton pliers
✤ Bunsen burner
✤ Inlay casting wax
✤ Zinc stearate powder
PKT Instruments
✤ Uses of PKT instruments:
✤ #1 and #2 are tapered points used to carry
molten wax and aid flow it on the die.
✤ #3 Carving developmental and
supplemental grooves
✤ #4 Carving external contours of the crown
✤ #5 Create and maintain convexity of cusp
ridges
PKT instruments
Dental wax
✤ Waxes are thermoplastic materials which
are solids at room temperature but melt
without decomposition to form liquids.
Inlay casting wax
✤ It is the wax used for fabrication of wax patterns
✤ Types
✤ Type I (low melting)
Direct technique
✤ Type II
Indirect technique
Inlay casting wax
✤ It should have the following properties:
✤ It must flow readily when heated
✤ When cooled it must be rigid to avoid deformation —> Fracture better
than deformation when removing from undercut
✤ It must be precisely carved without chipping or distortion
Inlay casting wax
✤ It should have the following properties:
✤ Should have low thermal contraction
✤ Burn out of mold without residue
✤ The color should contrast die materials
Methods of Wax Pattern Fabrication
✤ Direct method; Done inside patient’s mouth (mainly limited now to inlays)
✤ Indirect method;
✤ Impression is taken for the preparation
✤ Working cast and dies prepared
✤ Wax pattern fabricated on dies
Before Wax Pattern Fabrication
1. Marking the finish lines with a
red wax based pencil.
2. Application of die hardener and
die spacer.
3. Lubricating the die using a die
lubricant —> to ensure wax does
not stick the to die.
Wax Pattern - Addition Method
✤ Copings fabrication
✤ Coping removal and evaluation
✤ Proximal surfaces
✤ Axial surfaces
✤ Occlusal surfaces
✤ Margin finishing
Wax Pattern -
Addition Method
COPING FABRICATION
✤ The coping is a thin layer of wax created
on the die.
✤ Copings are important to make sure that
the internal surface is completely adapted
to the die.
Coping fabrication
by dipping
Coping fabrication
by Addition
It is important to avoid flow lines and voids.
This is done by
1) Using properly heated instruments to
allow flow of wax
2) Remelting previously cooled edges
Wax Pattern Removal
✤ Wax coping should be removed and inspected to ensure adaptation to die with no
internal defects.
✤ It should be removed using thumbs and forefinger of both hands to prevent damage to
the wax pattern.
Wax Pattern Removal
o v al
f rem
c t i o no
Di re
Finalized wax coping
Proximal surfaces
✤ Proximal surfaces should resemble original
tooth anatomy —> cervical to contact area
surface should be flat to concave.
✤ Creating a well adapted proximal contact is
key.
✤ Creating contact areas instead of contact
points without encroaching on embrasures.
✤ Wax pattern should be slightly oversized at
contact area to proved enough bulk to
compensate for casting finishing and polishing
Axial surfaces
✤ Axial contours of the wax should resemble
original tooth anatomy and follow
contours of neighboring teeth.
✤ Position of height of contours should be
anatomically correct according to type of
the tooth.
✤ Proper emergence profile should be
respected.
✤ Height of contours in axial surfaces of
posterior teeth
✤ In Facial surface it usually occurs in the
cervical third of the tooth.
✤ In Palatal surface of maxillary teeth —>
at the cervical third or junction between
cervical and middle third.
✤ In Lingual surface of mandibular teeth
—> in the middle third.
Emergence profile
✤ Emergence profile is the part of the axial
contour that extends from the base of
gingival sulcus past the free margin of
gingiva till the height of contour.
✤ It should produce a straight profile.
✤ It is important for access to proper oral
hygiene.
Emergence profile
A. Over-contoured buccal surface —> food accumulation + no proper hygiene as brush will not
reach under the bulge created.
B. Under-contoured surface —> food directly pushes the gingiva causing injury or stripping.
C. Correct contour —> food passes over gingiva massaging it + proper hygiene
Occlusal contacts
A. Single Contact - The cusp tip is in contact
with opposing fossa.
B. Tripod Contact - Each cusp has 3 contact
points with opposing fossa.
The cusp tip never comes in contact with
opposing therefore minimizing wear
Occlusal Schemes
1. Cusp to fossa arrangement
2. Cusp to marginal ridge arrangement
Cusp to marginal
ridge arrangement
Cusp to marginal ridge arrangement
✤ Found in 95% of population.
✤ Cusps contact opposing teeth in both Marginal ridges and Fossae.
✤ An occlusion of 1 tooth to 2 teeth.
✤ Disadvantages: Can cause food impaction and displacement of teeth if
functional cusps wedge into lingual embrasures.
✤ Uses: Can be used in single restorations when the occlusion of the patient is
already a cusp to marginal ridge occlusion.
Cusp to Fossa
Arrangement
Cusp to Fossa
Arrangement
✤ Rare to find in natural teeth
✤ Cusps contact opposing teeth in Fossae only.
✤ An occlusion of 1 tooth to 1 tooth.
✤ Advantages: Directs the forces parallel to the long axis of the tooth.
✤ Disadvantages: Can only be used when restoring multiple opposing teeth as this occlusal
scheme is rare in natural teeth.
✤ Uses: in full mouth reconstructions.
Step by step for Creating occlusal morphology
1) Placing cones to define cusp tip positions
2) Checking the cones in occlusion.
3) Waxing the triangular ridges of the cusps.
4) Adding of the external cusp ridges
5) Adding and carving of the marginal ridges
6) Forming the medial and distal cusp ridges and finishing of the occlusal morphology
Finished Occlusal Morphology
Finishing of the
margins
✤ The margin is critical factor in
ensuring a good restoration.
✤ After finishing the wax pattern. It is
reseated back on the die. Make sure
the red-marked finish line is visible.
✤ Using a hot instrument reheat the
wax pattern all around the margins.
This creates a trough or
depression around the
finish line
Wax is added again
over the finish line
used the beavertail
burnisher to fill this
depression
After cooling of the
wax, the finish line area
is carved again and
excess beyond the
finish line removed
Finished Wax Pattern
Finished Wax Pattern
Thank You!
