Rubber dam isolation was invented in America in the nineteeth century. It has been in constant use throughout
the world ever since. In England, its popularity diminished after the inception of National Health dentistry in 1948 as the
system encouraged dentists to work with speed in mind and so abandon anything considered as 'non-essential' regardless of
the potential advantages for patients.
Nowadays the use of rubber dam is again on the increase; for very good reasons. The main benefits to patients
are as follows:
It stops the mouth filling with water during use of the dental drill.
It stops bacteria from the saliva entering treated teeth.
It prevents the risk of small objects being dropped and entering the windpipe.
It reduces the amount of mercury swallowed or its vapour inhaled during the removal of amalgam fillings.
It stops tooth preparations becoming contaminated by mouth fluids, so making fillings last longer.
It greatly improves the chances for success for root-fillings.
For technical reasons, it is not always possible to place rubber dam but at Wight Dental we do so whenever
possible.
