Glossary

A wax-up is a wax and/or resin pattern contoured to the desired form for a trial denture, cast coping, metal framework, or for diagnostic purposes. It is also a process of placing denture teeth on a wax-rim. A wax-up provides a model of what the patient’s dental work will look like and assists the dentist with the implant procedure. A dental wax-up kit is an important part of any office’s dental materials. This contoured pattern can be used for wax-up teeth or for a veneer wax-up. A dental wax-up not only assists the dentist with the implant process but the patient as well. A mockup can be made and placed into the patient’s mouth to give them a better understanding of what their prosthesis will look like once the procedure is complete. It also provides a chance for the patient to request changes or to discuss any esthetic concerns they may have.

A waxing sleeve is placed over the titanium implant post and can be shaped or modified in any way to procure an appropriate metal support for a dental implant. Often, waxing sleeves are used in tissue level impression and with a UCLA-type crown or UCLA abutment. UCLA abutment history says that the abutment was created in 1987. It has a gold cylinder that works with the implant hardware and a plastic sleeve that can have a waxing sleeve placed over it. Usually, the abutments are cast with a high noble alloy and baked with ceramic before use. The UCLA abutment is stronger than a zirconia abutments, and it has better versatility and aesthetics compared to other types of abutments. Whether used with a UCLA-type crown or abutment or not, a waxing sleeve allows for straightforward and accurate fabrication. Essentially, this works to create a better overall finished aesthetic appearance.

Wolff’s Law is a simple ideology that states that the natural bone of a healthy animal or person will adapt to the stress under which it is placed. This law was developed in the 19th century by German surgeon and anatomist Julius Wolff. He posited that if the load under which a bone is placed is increased, the bone naturally reconstructs itself to become stronger and withstand the additional strain. These changes are remarkable and include both primary changes to trabeculae architecture and secondary adaptive changes to external cortical bone, which may become thicker. The opposite is also true; if the strain on a bone decreases, the bone weakens over time due to the lack of stimulation needed to keep bones strong and healthy. Bone strength and density often decreases after a prosthesis is placed as a result of stress shielding, or the transfer of load from bone to prosthetic.