How a Dental Rubber Dam Protects Your Other Teeth During Treatment?

Posted on 3/6/2023 by Pacific Oral and Facial Surgery Center

If you have a damaged tooth, you need to consult with our professional for treatment. This treatment will usually last from a few minutes to hours, during which different reagents will be used in cleaning and removing debris from the affected tooth. To ensure easy management of the tooth and your comfort during the treatment, our professionals will use a rubber dam. A rubber dam is a latex comprising a hole and is placed over a tooth during treatment to create a barrier. It protects your other teeth during treatment by isolating the specific tooth requiring treatment from the rest and keeps off bacteria and saliva from the treatment area.

Tooth Isolation

Placement of a rubber dam allows a professional to achieve a dry treatment field by isolating the tooth undergoing treatment from saliva and other oral tissues. This isolation enables our professional to focus on the specific tooth and prevents the patient from swallowing debris and objects used in the treatment. The rubber dam also protects the oral soft tissues from reagents that may cause tooth irritation, such as those used in tooth etching. It also prevents the patient from inhaling the chemicals into their lungs during treatment. Lastly, isolation reduces the amount of saliva on the tooth, especially when placing fillings and crowns. This, in turn, enhances their bonding with the tooth and durability.

Keeping off Bacteria

With time, our teeth accumulate bacteria that are irremovable through regular brushing and flossing. During treatment, bacteria may flow from the tooth undergoing treatment to the other teeth and vice versa, causing infection. To prevent this, our professionals use a rubber dam. A rubber dam also prevents cross-infection, especially of communicable diseases, between the patient and professional. Contact our office today for professional dental care and advice.

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The surgical specialty of oral and maxillofacial surgery requires up to six additional years of hospital based surgical and anesthesia training beyond dental school.

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Dental Blog | Livermore & Tracy CA | Michael Beckley DDS
For more information on oral surgery, and to schedule your consultation, call Pacific Oral & Facial Surgery Center in Livermore and Tracy today.
Pacific Oral and Facial Surgery Center, 1133 E Stanley Blvd #215, Livermore, CA 94550 + 925-290-7727 + pacificofs.com + 1/13/2025 + Key Phrases: oral surgeon Livermore +