While orthodontic treatment can straighten teeth and make smiles look better, it can be painful, mainly when braces are used. Dental wax, a small but powerful tool, can significantly help with this pain. This complete guide will explain dental wax, how it can help with braces pain and its characteristics.
What Is Dental Wax for Braces?
Braces wax, also known as dental wax, is a safe type of wax usually made from natural ingredients like beeswax, carnauba wax, or paraffin. Wax for your teeth is a great way to keep your mouth from hurting from your braces. Dental wax is made to be flexible and stick to your braces well.
It smooth’s the surface, lessening or eliminating any discomfort your braces may be causing. Your teeth and gums will get used to your braces and become less sensitive. Until then, you can use your dental wax whenever you need to.
Uses of Dental Wax
Dental wax is essential because it can be used to make crowns, bridges, replacements, and teeth. Waxes come from natural and artificial sources. Manufacturers use resins to make sure the final product has good qualities. Dentists use dental wax at three main times:
- Making molds that decide how the crowns and bridges will look.
- Figuring out what shape crowns, teeth, and replacements are required.
- Making models that can be easily fixed and changed as needed.
What Are the Physical Characteristics Of Dental Waxes?
In dental waxes, fatty acids and alcohol combine to make hydrocarbon chains. These are chains of carbon atoms and hydrogen atoms or other radicals. For dentistry use, there are many different kinds of waxes. They consist of a mix of plants, animals, and minerals waxes. They also include oils, fats, gums, resins, manufactured waxes, and dyes. The following are some physical traits that all kinds of dental wax have in common:
- The temperature at which the Wax Melts: Dental wax comprises similar molecules with different molecular weights. Due to this, it doesn’t have a set melting point; instead, it has melting gaps.
- Temperature-Related Expansion: Dental waxes get bigger when the temperature goes up and smaller when the temperature goes down.
- Residual Stress: When wax is compressed and cooled, the atoms and molecules move closer. When the wax is heated again, the stress goes away, changing its size.
- Pattern Distortion: Pattern distortion worsens over time and is also affected by the temperature at which the wax is stored. This happens because the stress that built up while the wax image was made is released.
How Does Dental Wax Provide Relief?
Orthodontic braces have metal or explicit plastic clips that hold metal wires across the teeth. You can make clear aligners that fit over the outside of your teeth and reach your back teeth. When you wear braces, the clips, the wire ends, or the edges of the frames can rub against soft tissue inside your mouth, which can be painful.
Your tongue and cheeks may feel more sensitive at the beginning of your treatment. This is because they are adjusting to the new things in your mouth. Using dental wax can temporarily relieve these pains until they get stronger. You can also cover a clamp, wire end, or spot on the aligner that bothers you. This will help protect your cheeks, tongue, and lips from getting hurt.
Conclusion
Using dental wax is an easy and effective way to deal with the pain that comes with having braces. If you know what dental wax is, how it works, and the right means to use it, your orthodontic experience will be more comfortable. Also, immediately talk to your doctor if you need more support or if the wax doesn’t help your pain.