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wax up
- Thread starter xtra333
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I never waxed up an incisor, in my school, the very first tooth wax-up (along with first competency) was #20 and let me tell you, that was a hard tooth to begin this skill.
I remember back then, I thought my dental career was over, I used to feel "I'll never be able to produce a #20". Anyways, what really helped me was getting our instructor, and had him do a wax-up model of #20 (from start to finish) infront of me, so I can watch his technique.
IMO, all of dentistry is 70% technique, and 30% natural skills. You need to watch someone do one, so you can develop the technique of how to apply the wax, how to shape the wax, and how to contour the wax. Pay close attention to which instruments they use and how they use them.
all the best
I remember back then, I thought my dental career was over, I used to feel "I'll never be able to produce a #20". Anyways, what really helped me was getting our instructor, and had him do a wax-up model of #20 (from start to finish) infront of me, so I can watch his technique.
IMO, all of dentistry is 70% technique, and 30% natural skills. You need to watch someone do one, so you can develop the technique of how to apply the wax, how to shape the wax, and how to contour the wax. Pay close attention to which instruments they use and how they use them.
all the best
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The most important thing when waxing a central incisor is contacts and contour on the facial aspect of the tooth. Make sure your mesial contact is at the incisal 1/3 and the distal contact is at the junction of the incisal and middle 1/3. You can check this by holding it up to the light and you should not see any light coming through the sides of the tooth.
For the facial aspect, take your carving tool and put the point against the adjacent tooth and slide the carving tool down following the contour of the the adjacent tooth. I know that is hard to visualize from reading this but ask your prof or other ppl in your class to help you and I'm sure they would be more than willing to help.
For the lingual aspect, make sure the cingulum is curved distally and build your marginal ridges with your PKT-2 then with your carving tool, make sure it sits flush with the adjacent tooth so it isnt bulging out too much. This will also be helpful for when you have to check your occlusion.
Checking your occlusion is extremely important throughout the waxing process for this tooth! You may have a bottle of sterate powder or something similar and with a brush put some powder on the lingual aspect of the tooth and put it back in the articulator. Then, lightly tap the maxillary teeth with the mandibular and look on the lingual side of #8. The amount of pressure should be just enough to displace the powder. If the wax has a dent in it then the occlusion is too heavy.
If you have an account for chads videos, under the DAT videos tab there are free waxing videos for each tooth and they are really helpful so I'd advise you to check them out. And never hesitate to ask for help, I've found that most profs and upper class dental students are more than willing to help.
Good luck!
For the facial aspect, take your carving tool and put the point against the adjacent tooth and slide the carving tool down following the contour of the the adjacent tooth. I know that is hard to visualize from reading this but ask your prof or other ppl in your class to help you and I'm sure they would be more than willing to help.
For the lingual aspect, make sure the cingulum is curved distally and build your marginal ridges with your PKT-2 then with your carving tool, make sure it sits flush with the adjacent tooth so it isnt bulging out too much. This will also be helpful for when you have to check your occlusion.
Checking your occlusion is extremely important throughout the waxing process for this tooth! You may have a bottle of sterate powder or something similar and with a brush put some powder on the lingual aspect of the tooth and put it back in the articulator. Then, lightly tap the maxillary teeth with the mandibular and look on the lingual side of #8. The amount of pressure should be just enough to displace the powder. If the wax has a dent in it then the occlusion is too heavy.
If you have an account for chads videos, under the DAT videos tab there are free waxing videos for each tooth and they are really helpful so I'd advise you to check them out. And never hesitate to ask for help, I've found that most profs and upper class dental students are more than willing to help.
Good luck!
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I don't think anyone has ever posted a picture of their own wax up for critique.
But if you did it would be much easier to critique. If you look at the pictures yourself
then you may see what is clinically deficient or whatever. Why is your status premedical btw?
But if you did it would be much easier to critique. If you look at the pictures yourself
then you may see what is clinically deficient or whatever. Why is your status premedical btw?
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Good point...and if you do post pictures, please take a pic from each aspect (facial, lingual, mesial, distal, incisal) so we can give you the most accurate tips
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In all honesty, 90% of preclinic waxing is just making it look pretty. Add some contours, make it look like a tooth, then use a little heat to shine the surface, lightly polish it with a nylon stocking, and wash it gently under cold water with hand soap and a cotton ball.
Also, for contouring, learn to look at the tooth from all angles. Compare it to adjacent/contralateral teeth and just try to make it match.
Also, for contouring, learn to look at the tooth from all angles. Compare it to adjacent/contralateral teeth and just try to make it match.
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are you working on a pedestal tooth or are you working on a typodont or a cast?
Make it match the contralateral tooth if on a typodont or cast.
Do you have a grading rubric from your professor so you know what they are judging you by?
It may or may not help, but here is my first practical from first year on tooth #9 (complete with grading rubric).
Make it match the contralateral tooth if on a typodont or cast.
Do you have a grading rubric from your professor so you know what they are judging you by?
It may or may not help, but here is my first practical from first year on tooth #9 (complete with grading rubric).
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I learned a neat little trick for getting this started. Break off a piece of wax then run it under warm water to make it pliable. Stick it on the prep and have a nice big blob in the general dimensions of the tooth. While its still warm mold it to get a crude shape of your incisor. Take it off your prep and put it over the burner until it gets hot and stick it back on the prep so it will stay. This will save you so much time instead of dripping wax all over the prep to build it up.
Now you are ready to start shaving away. The best tool IMO is the discoid cleoid carver. The most important feature to start is getting those facial line angles to mirror #9. Draw in those line angles the scrape off all the parts of the tooth beyong them. You want contact POINTS, not contact lines. This may be what your professor is looking for. While its in your typodont start widdling away at the sides and follow your criteria. Make sure you have incisal and facial embrasures visible. For the lingual fossa use the heat up the spatula looking thing (forget the name) then press it into the tooth. Its easy to work with once the wax is hot. Hope this helps you to start
