For patients needing more extensive dental work, your doctor will need to create a diagnostic wax up. A diagnostic wax up is a three dimensional mockup of your proposed treatment outcome. It serves to help your doctor evaluate if treatment is viable based on your aesthetic and functional needs or expectations. This mockup also helps to ensure your restorations will last for many years to come. Sometimes complex forces in the mouth can have unintended consequences when the bite is altered in any way. Creating a mockup allows your doctor to test your new bite. Ensuring your dental work is optimal to make a diagnostic wax up. Impressions are taken of your upper and lower arches and used to fabricate a stone cast. Using the cast, your doctor can plan out the proposed restoration for desired aesthetics and function using the wax. At a subsequent appointment, your Dr. May show you the mock-up and use it as a visual tool for discussion. At this stage, adjustments or modifications can be made. A diagnostic wax-up acts as the foundation of an entire treatment plan and helps your doctor perform predictable and successful restorative procedures. Having the end in mind before treatment begins helps ensure your smile is both beautiful and functionally at its best.