The wax try-in is a foundational stage in creating new dentures, serving as a dress rehearsal before the prosthetic is permanently finished. This appointment is the patient’s most important opportunity to approve the final aesthetic and functional details. It acts as a checkpoint, ensuring the dentures will fit comfortably, look natural, and function correctly before they are processed into hard, irreversible materials. Since making changes after this stage is significantly more difficult and costly, the wax try-in is necessary for achieving a successful outcome.
Defining the Wax Try-In
The wax try-in is a preliminary version of the final denture, constructed for easy manipulation and adjustment. This prototype uses the actual prosthetic teeth embedded in a temporary wax base. Wax is used intentionally because it can be softened, carved, and reshaped quickly chairside.
This temporary assembly directly represents the final product’s tooth arrangement, size, shade, and alignment. The baseplate holding the wax and teeth is made from a temporary acrylic or shellac material, which is less stable than the final acrylic base. Although the temporary base does not offer the perfect fit of the final denture, the primary focus is on the precise positioning of the teeth and the bite relationship. Corrections to the aesthetics or bite are far easier to execute in the soft wax than in the final rigid acrylic.
The Patient’s Role During the Appointment
The patient’s active participation is required during the try-in appointment, as they judge the dentures’ appearance and comfort. The patient should wear the wax try-in for a sustained period in the office to identify any immediate discomfort or pressure points. It is important to communicate any sensation of looseness or instability, even though the temporary wax base is naturally less retentive than the final acrylic.
A key part of this evaluation is testing phonetics, which involves speaking aloud to check for speech clarity and whistling sounds. Patients are often asked to pronounce sibilant sounds (“S” and “Z”) and fricative sounds (“F” and “V”), as these rely on specific tooth and tongue positions. The closest speaking space—the small gap between the upper and lower teeth during speech—is also assessed, typically aiming for about one millimeter of separation.
The patient should perform exaggerated facial movements, such as smiling, laughing, and pouting, while observing the dentures in a mirror. It is recommended to bring a trusted friend or family member to provide objective feedback on the appearance and lip support. The patient’s approval signifies acceptance of the tooth arrangement, and no significant aesthetic changes can be made afterward.
Assessing Fit, Function, and Appearance
The try-in appointment is a comprehensive review covering fit, function, and appearance. For fit, the professional checks the extension of the wax base into the surrounding gum tissue, ensuring borders are not over-extended, which could cause soreness. Retention and stability are evaluated, though minor looseness is expected, with the goal being a base that seats accurately onto the underlying ridge.
Functional assessment focuses heavily on the bite (occlusion) and the vertical dimension. The vertical dimension of occlusion (VDO) determines the distance between the upper and lower jaws when the teeth are in contact. This must be correct to prevent jaw joint issues or an unnatural facial profile. The bite must also be accurately centered, known as centric jaw relation, so that the upper and lower teeth meet simultaneously and evenly when the patient closes.
The aesthetic evaluation requires direct patient input. The professional reviews several factors to ensure a natural appearance:
- Tooth shade, size, and arrangement.
- The dental midline, which must align accurately with the patient’s facial midline for a balanced look.
- The amount of tooth structure visible beneath the upper lip at rest (typically one to two millimeters).
- The degree of gum tissue shown during a full smile.
From Wax to Final Restoration
Once the patient and the dental professional approve the fit, function, and aesthetics of the wax try-in, the prototype is sent back to the dental laboratory. This approval is a formal agreement that the tooth arrangement is satisfactory and ready for final processing. The laboratory then initiates the flasking and processing stage, which is the irreversible procedure for creating the permanent denture.
During this process, the temporary wax is carefully replaced with a permanent, heat-cured acrylic resin. This resin becomes the hard, durable, gum-colored base of the final denture. The acrylic resin is stronger and more precisely adapted to the patient’s underlying anatomy than the initial wax base, enhancing fit and retention. The final processing stage is the last opportunity for minor adjustments to the base before the material is fully cured and polished. Once the denture is fully processed, only minor occlusal adjustments or trimming of the borders are possible.