Sheets

Before the emergence of sophisticated adhesive procedures, the use of a dental/rubber dam in private practice was usually relegated to endodontics and power bleaching. Rarely was it employed for routine operative or fixed prosthetic procedures. Even though it is still not a routine application in many offices, the dental/rubber dam is definitely being used more frequently today than in the past.

While the dental/rubber dam placement technique is thoroughly covered in the The Techniques, Volume 1, this section covers the actual product choices for the dam itself. Even though it is unabashedly low-tech and unglamorous, it is difficult for those who use it regularly to contemplate practicing without the dam.

When choosing a dental/rubber dam, your options include:

• Thickness While the thinner varieties tend to be easier to get through contacts, they typically tear more easily and don't retract the tissue as well as thicker ones. Editorial Team preferences include 44% for medium, 39% for heavy, 11% for thin, and 6% for extra heavy.

• Size Most common sizes are 5x5 and 6x6. Editorial Team preferences show 56% prefer the 6x6, while 44% like the 5x5.

• Color Darker colors provide better contrast, especially if you are photographing a case. Editorial Team preferences are green (41%), medium/dark blue (29%), light blue (12%), neutral (6%), lavender (6%), and pink (6%).

NOTE: With many patients claiming to be allergic to latex, the non-latex versions, which are responsible for the change in nomenclature to "dental" dam, are basically the standard today. While these non-latex versions do not have quite the "feel" of the conventional, latex types, they are safer to use and should be considered for every restorative patient.

Bur Nicks

It's a clinical "reality" that, once in a while, a bur will nick a dental/rubber dam. We simulated this occurrence, with the resulting photos in each product's commentary.