Dental dams or
rubber dams are rectangular sheets of
latexLatex refers generically to a stable dispersion of polymer microparticles in an aqueous medium. Latexes may be natural or synthetic. Latex as found in nature is a milky sap-like fluid within many plants that coagulates on exposure to air. It is a complex emulsion in which proteins, alkaloids,...
used in
dentistryDentistry is the known evaluation, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the soft and hard tissues of the jaw , the oral cavity, maxillofacial area and the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body. Dentistry is a part of stomatology...
, specifically
endodontic therapyEndodontic therapy is a sequence of treatment for the pulp of a tooth whose end result is the elimination of infection and protection of the decontaminated tooth from future microbial invasion...
. They are also used during
sexual activitiesHuman sexual behavior or human sexual practices or human sexual activities refers to the manner in which humans experience and express their sexuality...
as a
safe sexSafe sex is defined as "Sexual activity engaged in by people who have taken precautions to protect themselves against sexually transmitted diseases such as AIDS." This is also referred to as safer sex, or protected sex, while unsafe sex or unprotected sex is sexual activity engaged in by people...
technique.
A dental dam (sometimes known as a "Kofferdam"--from
GermanGerman is a West Germanic language, thus related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. It is one of the world's major languages and the most widely spoken first language in the European Union. Around the world, German is spoken by approximately 105 million native speakers and also by...
), is used mainly in endodontic treatment and when putting
fillingsThis page is about types of dental restorative materials. For dental fillings see dental restorationsDental restorative materials are specially fabricated materials, designed for use as dental restorations , which are used to restore tooth structure loss, usually resulting from but not limited to...
into teeth. They are thin squares of
latexLatex refers generically to a stable dispersion of polymer microparticles in an aqueous medium. Latexes may be natural or synthetic. Latex as found in nature is a milky sap-like fluid within many plants that coagulates on exposure to air. It is a complex emulsion in which proteins, alkaloids,...
rubberNatural rubber is an elastomer that was originally derived from a milky colloidal suspension, or latex, found in the sap of some plants. The purified form of natural rubber is the chemical polyisoprene, which can also be produced synthetically...
.
SiliconeSilicones are largely inert, man-made compounds with a wide variety of forms and uses. Typically heat-resistant, nonstick, and rubber-like, they are commonly used in cookware, medical applications, sealants, adhesives, lubricants, insulation, and breast implants.Silicones are polymers that include...
versions are available for those with latex allergies.
The main function is to isolate the tooth being treated from its environment, in particular from the
bacteriaThe bacteria are a large group of unicellular microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals...
in the oral cavity.
Dental dams or
rubber dams are rectangular sheets of
latexLatex refers generically to a stable dispersion of polymer microparticles in an aqueous medium. Latexes may be natural or synthetic. Latex as found in nature is a milky sap-like fluid within many plants that coagulates on exposure to air. It is a complex emulsion in which proteins, alkaloids,...
used in
dentistryDentistry is the known evaluation, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the soft and hard tissues of the jaw , the oral cavity, maxillofacial area and the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body. Dentistry is a part of stomatology...
, specifically
endodontic therapyEndodontic therapy is a sequence of treatment for the pulp of a tooth whose end result is the elimination of infection and protection of the decontaminated tooth from future microbial invasion...
. They are also used during
sexual activitiesHuman sexual behavior or human sexual practices or human sexual activities refers to the manner in which humans experience and express their sexuality...
as a
safe sexSafe sex is defined as "Sexual activity engaged in by people who have taken precautions to protect themselves against sexually transmitted diseases such as AIDS." This is also referred to as safer sex, or protected sex, while unsafe sex or unprotected sex is sexual activity engaged in by people...
technique.
In dentistry
A dental dam (sometimes known as a "Kofferdam"--from
GermanGerman is a West Germanic language, thus related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. It is one of the world's major languages and the most widely spoken first language in the European Union. Around the world, German is spoken by approximately 105 million native speakers and also by...
), is used mainly in endodontic treatment and when putting
fillingsThis page is about types of dental restorative materials. For dental fillings see dental restorationsDental restorative materials are specially fabricated materials, designed for use as dental restorations , which are used to restore tooth structure loss, usually resulting from but not limited to...
into teeth. They are thin squares of
latexLatex refers generically to a stable dispersion of polymer microparticles in an aqueous medium. Latexes may be natural or synthetic. Latex as found in nature is a milky sap-like fluid within many plants that coagulates on exposure to air. It is a complex emulsion in which proteins, alkaloids,...
rubberNatural rubber is an elastomer that was originally derived from a milky colloidal suspension, or latex, found in the sap of some plants. The purified form of natural rubber is the chemical polyisoprene, which can also be produced synthetically...
.
SiliconeSilicones are largely inert, man-made compounds with a wide variety of forms and uses. Typically heat-resistant, nonstick, and rubber-like, they are commonly used in cookware, medical applications, sealants, adhesives, lubricants, insulation, and breast implants.Silicones are polymers that include...
versions are available for those with latex allergies.
The main function is to isolate the tooth being treated from its environment, in particular from the
bacteriaThe bacteria are a large group of unicellular microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals...
in the oral cavity. The rubber dam is held over individual teeth or groups of teeth by appropriate rubber dam clamps or threads (ligatures) along the edge of the gum. The tooth crown stands out from the rubber dam through individual holes made by a hole punch. This permits a clean and dry operative field, retracts the lips and cheeks, and enables treatment of the appropriate tooth without contamination from blood or saliva. Another function of rubber dam is to protect the patient's airway from any materials which may fall down there during treatment.
Routine use of dental dams is not always appropriate because of some difficulties: for instance communication with the patient is significantly reduced and the patient may feel restricted. However for endodontic procedures it is considered mandatory. For adhesive dentistry procedures involving bonding
dental compositeDental composite resins are types of synthetic resins which are used in dentistry as restorative material or adhesives. Synthetic resins evolved as restorative materials since they were insoluble, aesthetic, and insensitive to dehydration and were inexpensive. It is easy to manipulate them as well...
it is to be encouraged as the operative field must avoid moisture contamination in order to get maximum bond strength from restorative material to tooth substance.
Glass ionomer cementA Glass Ionomer Cement is a dental restorative material used in dentistry for filling teeth and luting cements. These materials are based on the reaction of silicate glass powder and polyalkenoic acid...
is affected by moisture during its setting reaction and thus a rubber dam is considered advisable during placement.
Safe sex
In regard to
safe sexSafe sex is defined as "Sexual activity engaged in by people who have taken precautions to protect themselves against sexually transmitted diseases such as AIDS." This is also referred to as safer sex, or protected sex, while unsafe sex or unprotected sex is sexual activity engaged in by people...
practices, dental dams are most commonly recognized for their use during
cunnilingusCunnilingus is the act of using the mouth, lips, and tongue to stimulate the female genitals. Derived from a vulgar Latin word for the vulva and the Latin word for tongue .-Technique:...
and analingus to protect against the transmission of
sexually transmitted diseaseA sexually transmitted disease , also known as sexually transmitted infection or venereal disease , is an illness that has a significant probability of transmission between humans or animals by means of sexual contact, including vaginal intercourse, oral sex, and anal sex...
s. After lubrication with water-based lubricant an unpunctured dental dam may be held over the
vulvaThe vulva refers to the external genital organs of the female. This article deals with the human vulva, although the structures are similar for other mammals....
or
anusThe anus is an opening at the opposite end of an animal's digestive tract from the mouth. Its function is to expel feces, unwanted semi-solid matter produced during digestion, which, depending on the type of animal, may be one or more of: matter which the animal cannot digest, such as bones; food...
, allowing oral stimulation of these areas without transmission of
bodily fluidBodily fluids are liquids that are inside the bodies of animals. They include fluids that are excreted or secreted from the body as well as body water that normally is not.-Bodily fluids:* Amniotic fluid surrounding a fetus* Aqueous humour...
s and skin contact.