title: Marginal adaptation of four inlay casting waxes on stone, titanium, and zirconia dies.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Different inlay casting waxes do not produce copings with satisfactory marginal accuracy when used on different die materials.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to evaluate the marginal accuracy of 4 inlay casting waxes on stone dies and titanium and zirconia abutments and to correlate the findings with the degree of wetting between the die specimens and the inlay casting waxes.
  
  
  METHODS
  The inlay casting waxes tested were Starwax (Dentaurum), Unterziehwachs (Bredent), SU Esthetic wax (Schuler), and Sculpturing wax (Renfert). The marginal opening of the waxes was measured with a stereomicroscope on high-strength stone dies and on titanium and zirconia abutments. Photographic images were obtained, and the mean marginal opening for each specimen was calculated. A total of 1440 measurements were made. Wetting between die materials and waxes was determined after fabricating stone, titanium, and zirconia rectangular specimens. A calibrated pipette was used to place a drop of molten wax onto each specimen. The contact angle was calculated with software after an image of each specimen had been made with a digital camera. Collected data were subjected to a 2-way analysis of variance (α=.05). Any association between marginal accuracy and wetting of different materials was found by using the Pearson correlation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The wax factor had a statistically significant effect both on the marginal discrepancy (F=158.31, P<.001) and contact angle values (F=68.09, P<.001). A statistically significant effect of the die material factor both on the marginal adaptation (F=503.47, P<.001) and contact angle values (F=585.02, P<.001) was detected. A significant correlation between the marginal accuracy and the contact angle values (Pearson=0.881, P=.01) was also found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Stone dies provided wax copings with the best marginal integrity, followed by titanium and zirconia abutments. Unterziehwachs (Bredent), wax produced the best marginal adaptation on different die materials. A significant correlation was found between the marginal accuracy and the contact angle values. As the contact angle value became smaller, the marginal accuracy improved. All combinations of waxes and stone and titanium dies presented a high wettability.
authors.affiliation: Adjunct Associate Professor, Division of Graduate and Postgraduate Prosthodontics, Department of Prosthodontics and Operative Dentistry, Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, Boston, Mass; and Assistant Professor and Clinical Director of Graduate Prosthodontics, Department of Prosthodontics, Aristotle University Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Dentistry, Thessaloniki, Greece. Electronic address: kmichalakis@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Konstantinos X
authors.initials: KX
authors.lastname: Michalakis
authors.affiliation: Resident, Aristotle University Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Dentistry, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Vassiliki
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kapsampeli
authors.affiliation: Pre-doctoral student, Aristotle University Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Dentistry, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Aikaterini
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kitsou
authors.affiliation: Private practice, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Yvone
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kirmanidou
authors.affiliation: Resident, Aristotle University Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Dentistry, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fotiou
authors.affiliation: Professor and Chairman, Division of Removable Prosthodontics, Department of Prosthodontics, Aristotle University Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Dentistry, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Argirios L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Pissiotis
authors.affiliation: Adjunct Associate Professor, Division of Graduate and Postgraduate Prosthodontics, Department of Prosthodontics and Operative Dentistry, Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, Boston, Mass.
authors.forename: Pasquale Lino
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Calvani
authors.affiliation: Professor and Director of Graduate and Postgraduate Prosthodontics, Department of Prosthodontics and Operative Dentistry, Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, Boston, Mass.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hirayama
authors.affiliation: Chief Technician and Laboratory Instructor, Department of Prosthodontics and Operative Dentistry, Division of Graduate and Postgraduate Prosthodontics, Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, Boston, Mass.
authors.forename: Yukio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kudara
mesh_terms: D002133:Calcium Sulfate / Q000737:chemistry*; D000044:Dental Abutments; D018772:Dental Marginal Adaptation; D003764:Dental Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D007283:Inlay Casting Wax / Q000737:chemistry*; D008422:Materials Testing; D010781:Photography / Q000379:methods; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate / Q000737:chemistry; D013499:Surface Properties; D014025:Titanium / Q000737:chemistry*; D017155:Wettability; D015040:Zirconium / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D003764:Dental Materials; D007283:Inlay Casting Wax; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate; D015040:Zirconium; D014025:Titanium; C028541:zirconium oxide; D002133:Calcium Sulfate