What Is It and Why Do We Use It?

Needs for isolation of the oral working area are rather obvious. A tooth bathed in saliva, a tongue that insists on obstructing vision, and a bleeding gingiva are but a few of the obstacles that must be overcome before delicate and accurate workmanship is possible. A "Rubber Dam" is the best method to control these obstacles. It is a customized rubber sheet that fits over your teeth held by a clamp and frame and we use it for most inlay/onlay, sealants, filling and root canal procedures.
 

A dry, isolated work field means:

from the saliva will not get inside the teeth. We will have an easier time cleaning out the bacteria and decay from inside the tooth.

The restoration can be placed in a dry environment. We use state of the art dental adhesives with our dental restorations and stronger bonds will occur when moisture is controlled. You are protected from debris or tiny instruments being swallowed.
 

Your tongue and other structures are protected from possible damage. Most patients like rubber dams and say they can feel more relaxed because they don't have to concentrate on staying open or positioning their tongue.

Root canal therapy: Since one of the fundamental goals of root canal therapy is to clean bacteria out of a tooth, and since saliva does have bacteria in it, the placement of a rubber dam allows the dentist to keep your tooth saliva free so it doesn't get re-contaminated with bacteria while your root canal treatment is being performed.

Removing metal restorations: The use of a rubber dam during this procedure is essential. It prevents any of the metal and mercury that is being removed, from re-entering the patient’s saliva and being swallowed.