Why is rubber dam important?

I. Definition

Dental dam, also called rubber dam, is a thin latex or nitrile square sheet. It’s one of the common dental products used in dental clinics or hospitals that is mainly designed to isolate the operation area (one or more teeth) from other areas of the mouth.

Usually, dental professionals use it in the procedure of endodontic, when they handle the fixed prosthodontic (like crowns, bridges) or general restorative treatments.

As is known to all, saliva always appears naturally and is one of the usual physiological reactions, which can’t be stopped by patients and out of control. However, it is the main interference that dentists need to face up to during dental procedures. Moreover, there may be blood appearing.

For instance, filling materials should be kept dry during oral care. Then the adhesive may bond efficiently, making the filling more durable. In addition, the filling materials won’t fall into patients’ mouth that easily.

Sometimes, in dental work, rubber dam is specially meant to be “isolation of moisture control”. That’s because the rubber dam help a lot to isolate the contamination of oral micro-organisms during root canal therapy.

II. The Importance of Rubber Dam Dental

The purpose of rubber dam is to improve the overall quality of dental treatment.

The placement of rubber dam can help better control the moisture in the mouth. With its assistance, dental treatment will be easier for dentists, while more comfortable to patients. Up to now, it’s the most efficient way to master isolation of the mouth. Moreover, it can protect patients from potential risk of danger that may by be caused by small dental instruments during the treatment. It can eliminate the risk of aspiration and swallowing of dental instruments and stop from drawing foreign objects into the lungs like debris and dental objects that are used during the procedure. 

The entire period of dental treatment can be shortened, which can release the psychological stress for both patients and dentists.

We can say that the use of rubber dam in dentistry has been integrated into dentists’ everyday practice.

In addition, rubber dam is certainly needed for root canal treatment and prevent from bacterial leakage or entrance. It’s not required, but really necessary for blocking bacteria.

For endodontics in modern dentistry, Rubber dam is mandatory in related dental treatment. It means endodontics should certainly be performed with a dam.

Besides quality dental treatment, rubber dam plays an important part in dental infection control.

III. The breath for patients during dental treatment

In order not to interfere dentists’ work, during the placement of disposable dental dam, it’s better for patients to breathe mainly through the nose. Moreover, as patients should keep their mouth open throughout the treatment and there’s still much space left in the mouth, breathing through your mouth is still possible.

Some patients who never knows rubber dam before may worry about how to breathe during the treatment. Actually, the negative effect is much exaggerated.

IV. Physical Safety

A non-latex dental dam should be used to patients who have latex allergies. Under such a circumstance, patients should inform the dentist before the beginning of dental treatment. For the sake of physical safety, this is very important, because the neglect may cause big potential medical accidents, which will cause much trouble to both patients and dentists. So it’s better not to let it ever happen.

Usually, under such a situation, the silicone dental dam will work.

V. Offering Comfortable Oral Caring

For these patients first get to know rubber dam, they may wrongly consider that it will be very uncomfortable by using the rubber dam during dental work. Frankly speaking, it’s definitely a misunderstanding. In short, it is a protective device used by dentists or other specialists during oral treatment to prevent the rest of your teeth or mouth from infection.

Dentists can introduce the benefits of rubber dam to these patients first and let them know more dental knowledge that it’s better for dental infection control and it’s safe to use the dams, although they may feel uncomfortable. The explanation will easily remove the doubts and help finish the treatment smoothly.

VI. Advantages of Using a Dental Dam

The rubber dam instruments provide safety protection for lips, cheeks and tongue. With its assistance for better visibility, dental professionals can pay more attention to the caring of your teeth.

Dental dam works as a barrier to body fluids like saliva or blood and is good for dental infection control.

Dental dam should be used correctly and consistently, making it effective in oral treatment.

VII. How to place a dental rubber dam

Before the placement of dental rubber dam, dentists need to prepare the basic dental instruments, like clamps, web jet, rubber dam frame, rubber dam and clamp forceps.

There’re some basic steps that should be followed on how to place a dental rubber dam properly, as is shown as below:

1. Mark and punch the holes (rubber dam punch guide) on the dam where the teeth should get through and get treated.

2. Place the rubber dam underneath the teeth that need to be treated.

3. Attach the rubber dam to the rubber dam frame.

4. Use the dental floss to push the rubber dam inside the narrow gap between the near teeth. Make the rubber dam neat and clean to get well-prepared for the incoming dental treatment.

5. After dental treatment, use the surgical scissors to cut the dam septum into pieces, to release and expose the teeth. .

6. Take the rubber dam off the teeth.

VIII. New design Rubber Dam

In addition to the traditional square rubber dam, there’s a new kind of disposable rubber dam that was invented for easier use of dental treatment, like the one manufactured by SKYCARE Medical Company below:

The new design provides a better choice and solution for dentists. It can make the treatment more efficient and shorten the operation time, making it easier for dentists while more comfortable to patients.