The rubber dam is a system used in dental procedures to protect the patient and make work easier for the dentist performing the procedure.
Indications (areas of application)
The use of rubber dam is recommended for the following procedures:
- Adhesive fillings
- External bleaching
- Removal of amalgam fillings
- Gold hammer fillings
- Synthetic fillings
- Root canal treatments
The procedure
The rubber dam consists of a tension rubber and a tension frame. The rubber is mostly latex, but latex-free versions for allergy sufferers are also available. The rubber is perforated and slipped over the previously selected teeth so that only a few teeth necessary for the treatment show through. A single tooth can be isolated, as well as it is possible to isolate several teeth at the same time, depending on the planned procedure. The rubber is fixed to the teeth either with special retaining clips, wooden wedges, dental floss or special thin rubber strips called wetjets.
The application of rubber dam offers a number of advantages to both the dentist and the patient: The dentist gets a much better overview of his work area. When placing a plastic filling or as part of a root canal treatment, it is essential to keep the tooth being treated dry during the procedure, which is also achieved with the help of a rubber dam.
If a root canal treatment is carried out without a rubber dam, it is possible that saliva and thus germs will get into the open root canal and cause an infection there.A plastic filling only adheres optimally to the tooth if it is absolutely dry. Otherwise there is a risk that the filling will be lost.
Another significant advantage for the patient is the protection against swallowing or aspiration (inhalation) of, for example, old amalgam, broken drills or possibly unpleasant rinsing fluids that could otherwise enter the throat.
In the context of bleaching (tooth whitening), the rubber dam can be used to protect the gums from the substances applied, as these usually irritate the gums. Special rubber dam systems are available for this purpose.
The use of rubber dam serves both doctor and patient and is an effective means of improving the quality of numerous treatments.