Don't skip the wax try-in – your last chance before curing the denture

Why is the wax try-in so important?

The wax try-in is your last opportunity for correction before the material is cured. After curing = a lot of work (milling, burnout, acrylic pouring). If something is wrong at the try-in stage, it's better to fix it now.

Statistic: Nearly 50% of denture errors are discovered at the try-in, and they can be corrected in 15 minutes.

What to check at the wax try-in?

Occlusion – does it really fit?

The wax try-in has a specific occlusal height (usually 25 mm at the molars, 22 mm at the premolars). The patient must be able to close their bite without tension.

Error: Occlusion too high → patient cannot close their teeth → discomfort.

What to do: If too high – mill, abrade wax on the saddle areas.

Esthetics – tooth dimension, arch position

The teeth in the try-in should be:

• Proportional to the patient's face (not too large, not too small)
• In a natural line (not tilted, not canted)
• Color similar to the patient's natural teeth (if natural teeth are present)

Error: Lab chose teeth that are too large (or too small) → patient says "this doesn't look natural."

What to do: Change to different sized teeth (requires sending new models to the lab).

Retention – are the rests effective?

The wax try-in should be difficult to remove from the patient's mouth (but still removable). If it comes out easily – the rests are not engaging.

Error: Lab incorrectly positioned the rests → denture will dislodge during chewing.

What to do: Note for the lab: "Rests need to be seated deeper on tooth X."

Phonetics – "s", "z", pronunciation

The patient should be able to pronounce "s" and "z" without clicking or hissing sounds. If the denture alters pronunciation – there's a problem with tooth position.

Error: Teeth placed too buccally (too close to the lips) → patient lisps "sss."

Patient comfort – does anything scratch?

The wax try-in should be comfortable. If the patient says "it's scratching me here" – it means there's a sharp edge or a wax flash that needs to be polished and smoothed.

Common errors at try-in

1. Occlusion too high – patient cannot close teeth without discomfort
2. Rests not engaging – denture is too loose, dislodges during conversation
3. Teeth too large – patient looks 8 years old
4. Teeth too small – patient says "it looked better on my previous denture"
5. Color esthetics – teeth differ from natural ones
6. Shift (cant) in tooth line – asymmetrical placement
7. Smile line doesn't match lip movement – teeth are too visible or not visible enough
8. Sharp denture edge – patient feels discomfort on the palate

What to do if something is wrong?

Option 1: Minor adjustment in the clinic

• Abrading wax (if too high)
• Polishing sharp edges
• Changing tooth position (remove, reset, re-wax)

Option 2: Send to the lab

• Replacing teeth (different size, different color)
• Changing occlusal height
• Changing rest placement

Option 3: Return to design stage

• If the error is serious (e.g., wrong path of insertion for the denture) – send to the lab with a note for reconsideration.