What Is Dental Wax Used For?

Dental wax is used for tooth impressions, casting of teeth duplicates and tooth models. It is also used to protect braces. People with braces can take a bit of the wax, warm it up in their hands to make it soft and press it on sharp wires in their mouth. The wax creates a barrier to cover sharp wires or stabilize loose wires or brackets.

What Is Dental Wax Made Of?

Dental waxes are typically made from microcrystalline or paraffin waxes. Sometimes they are made from a blend of both types. Paraffin wax is a white, semi-translucent wax with a high melt point. Microcrystalline wax is more flexible than paraffin wax. It is added to wax blends for opacity, hardness and flexibility.

People can also use wax as a temporary fix for a chipped tooth. Some dentists recommend placing dental wax over the chipped area to protect it until you can get it fixed.

Wax is usually a temporary fix for dental issues. As always, consult your dentist before treating yourself.