Rubber Dam Protection
The Wonders of Rubber Dam
It's hard to believe that a sheet of rubber can make you feel more comfortable about dental treatment and allow us to do better dentistry but rubber dam can.
Before and After Rubber Dam
Without Rubber Dam
Same Mouth with Rubber Dam
Rubber dam is a thin sheet of rubber that is placed over your teeth. The teeth we are working on protrude through. It stops things falling down your throat so that you don't swallow or inhale any debris from old fillings. It protects your lips, cheeks and tongue. The first minute of putting it on is awkward but as soon as we start working on the tooth the advantages are immediately apparent to patient and staff alike.
Tooth coloured fillings rely on being bonded to clean dry tooth structure and rubber dam is recommended by all manufacturers of tooth coloured material.
We use rubber dam routinely on all fillings. Unless the tooth is too short to hold the dam or if there is not enough tooth left.
We would rate it as one of the most useful and necessary tools we have in dentistry along with local anaesthetics.
Why Use It?
There are many good reasons for using Rubber Dam
- Very high patient acceptance because it allows them to relax. Like so many things in dentistry if we are enthusiastic about its benefits this will translate to our patients. 95% of who react positively to its use. Even if we have effective local anaesthetic our patients still have to contend with things falling down the back of their throats, which is enough to make any one anxious. Rubber dam allows patients to truly relax and many fall asleep in my chair.
- Protection of the patient's airway from debris associated with removing old restorations so they don't swallow or inhale amalgam/mercury etc.
- Protection of patient's soft tissue, keeping tongue, lips and cheeks out of the way
Infection control - placing a high speed drill/handpiece in someone's mouth creates an aerosol spray with the patient's saliva increasing the risk to dentist and assistant alike ( I know we wear masks and glasses but its still a factor) - Isolation of the operating field - the essential requirement for the successful use of a bonding system and placement is a clean dry field. Chairside assistants find it much easier to keep patients comfortable
- Huge time saver because patient doesn't need to sit up and rinse. One doesn't have to waste time with cotton rolls, saliva ejectors, keeping tongue and cheeks protected and out of the way. Also not the constant need for suction
- Improved access and visibility - much easier for dentist and assistant to see the area they are working on
