Rubber Dam – “The Tooth Glove”
What is a rubber dam? Simply it’s square sheet of thin rubber that creates a barrier or “dam” from the outside of the mouth, to the mouth itself. Holes are punched through the rubber for the number of teeth that need to be worked on. The rubber sheet is then stretched over the teeth to be worked on and a clamp placed at the neck of the teeth to hold the dam in place; creating the “tooth glove”.
A frame is used to stretch the rubber dam out of the mouth to hold it in place and provide a clear view of the tooth/teeth. To seal around the exposed teeth, floss is used to push the rubber between the teeth.
Voila! Now to work!
Why a rubber dam? It provides a seal around the tooth so that aerosols, liquids, materials or even instruments do not go into the mouth. This is especially so when are doing root canal treatments.
The files we use to clean the root canals have cutting edges and, if swallowed or inhaled, can get stuck. Not a good thing to happen!
Also the rubber dam can keep the wayward tongue away and allows swallowing without interfering with the work being done. Importantly it provides a dry field, free of saliva.
Some people make so much saliva, that we should export it!
Need an Appointment?
If you’d like to book an appointment with the dentist at Seymour Dental then call us in Dulwich Hill, Sydney on (02) 9564 2397 or
contact us
Next week
Seymour Dental - Level 1 Restrictions - Are we back to normal? YES! … well almost.