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Concept
Dental dam
Summary
A dental dam or rubber dam is a thin, square sheet, usually latex or nitrile, used in dentistry to isolate the operative site (one or more teeth) from the rest of the mouth. Sometimes termed "Kofferdam" (from German), it was designed in the United States in 1864 by Sanford Christie Barnum. It is used mainly in endodontic, fixed prosthodontic (crowns, bridges) and general restorative treatments. Its purpose is both to prevent saliva interfering with the dental work (e.g. contamination of oral micro-organisms during root canal therapy, or to keep filling materials such as composite dry during placement and curing), and to prevent instruments and materials from being inhaled, swallowed or damaging the mouth. In dentistry, use of a rubber dam is sometimes referred to as isolation or moisture control.
Dental dams are also used for safer oral sex.
The technique used to apply the dental dam is selected according to the tooth requiring treatment. Several techniques can be used including single tooth isolation, multiple tooth isolation or split dam technique. The dental dam is prepared by punching one or more holes in the dental dam sheet to enable isolation of the appropriate number of teeth required for the dental procedure. The dental dam is then applied to the tooth, anchored into place using a metal or flexible plastic clamp (chosen according to the tooth and area it will be applied to). The clamp will ideally fit snugly around the tooth along the margin of the gingiva, stabilising the dental dam and preventing contamination of the working area due to saliva ingress. Individuals may experience subjective discomfort due to the tight sensation of the dam clamp, therefore topical anaesthetic (liquid or gel) may be applied to the gingiva at the operator's discretion prior to applying the dental dam.
Prior to the use of the rubber dam isolation method, many dental procedures had a high risk of contamination from saliva and bacteria infiltrating the tooth during a procedure.
Official source
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