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HomeDentistryRubber Dental Dams: What They Are and Why Dentists Use Them

Rubber Dental Dams: What They Are and Why Dentists Use Them

Have you ever gone to the dentist and had them put a big rubber blanket over your mouth?

In 1864 (nearly 150 years ago), a New York City dentist by the name of S.C. Barnum invented the rubber dam for use in dentistry.  He was looking for an easy way to isolate the particular teeth that he wanted to work on during procedures.

The rubber dam is simply a thin sheet of rubber that is clamped around the tooth or teeth that will be worked on.  There are many advantages to using a rubber dam, some of which are listed below.

9 Advantages of Dental Rubber Dams

Pink Rubber Dental Dam1 – The dentist is better able to visualize the tooth or teeth that he is repairing.  By providing a contrasting background, the rubber dam makes the tooth easier to visualize.  If the dentist can see better, chances are you’ll get a better filling.

2 – It helps keep the tooth dry.  Amalgam fillings aren’t as good if they are used in a wet tooth.  Bonding composite fillings to the tooth also doesn’t work very well if it is wet.  So rubber dams lend to the success of such procedures by keeping teeth dry.

3 – It protects the patient in several ways:

  • It prevents the patient from breathing in the debris associated with drilling teeth.
  • It protects the patient from irritating chemicals used in dentistry such as those used to disinfect a root canal or the acids used to etch teeth to prepare them to be filled with a composite resin filling
  • It protects the patient’s tongue and cheek from the dental drill

4 – It helps isolate the tooth from the bacteria in the mouth – this is especially important in a root canal treatment and when restoring very large cavities that are close to the pulp.  It is important to keep the pulp shielded away from the many bacteria that live in your mouth.

Green Rubber Dental Dam - Photo Courtesy of Produnis

5 – It can shorten the duration of a procedure. When using a rubber dam, there isn’t a tongue constantly in the way and it is easier for the dentist to drill with no other distractions in the mouth visible.  This increases the dentist’s efficiency, which means you can leave the dental office sooner!

An interesting side effect of rubber dam is that they discourage the patient from talking.  If the dentist wants to get a rubber dam on you as soon as you walk into the office, it could be a sign that you’re pretty talkative!

6 – It can calm down a patient. With the rubber dam on, it may not feel like the dentist is really inside your mouth.  It kind of adds a layer of separation between your body and the dentist.  This is helpful for patients who become anxious during procedures.

7  – It can help in the administration of nitrous oxide (this is especially true with children ) since it forces the patient to primarily breathe through their nose.

8 – It protects the dentist and dental assistants from any diseases that the patient may have. Did you know that if a dentist drills on one of your teeth for 30 seconds, the dentist is exposed to as much bacteria as he or she would be if you sneezed right in their face?  Here’s the source for that fact. For more on how dental dams prevent the spread of infection from the dental patient to others, here’s a study, another one, and yet another one.

Rubber Dental Dam Isolating Six Front Teeth

9 – Rubber dams give you a higher quality tooth restorationA study by Dr. Gordon Christsenen concluded that rubber dams allow the dentist to perform better, thus creating a higher-quality restored tooth in the end.

Why Some Dentists Don’t Use Rubber Dams

Rubber Dental Dam Clamps
Rubber dam clamps that can be used to anchor the dam around various teeth.

Some dentists think that rubber dams take too much time to place or that the patients dislike them.  To be honest, it does take some time to put a rubber dam on a patient.  You have to punch a few holes in the rubber dam for each tooth and put a clamp around the tooth to stabilize the dam.  To make sure that the clamp doesn’t fall down the patient’s throat when you put it in, you have to wrap floss around it.  Finally, you have to stretch the rubber dam around the clamp and floss it between all of the teeth that you want to be visible through the rubber dam.

At my dental school, they usually require us to put a rubber dam on our patients when we are doing fillings.  After doing this so often, it has become easy to put a rubber dam on a patient.  Plus, there is usually a period of a few minutes that the dentist has to wait for the anesthesia to begin working.  Those few minutes are the perfect opportunity to put a rubber dam on, and as I mentioned above, using a rubber dam can shorten the duration of a procedure overall.

Do You Like Rubber Dams?

Have you ever had a rubber dam?  Was it a good experience?  Some patients I’ve talked to say they like it, and others find it uncomfortable.

If you have any questions or comments about rubber dams, please leave them below in the comments section.

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54 COMMENTS

  1. I can’t have a rubber dam in my mouth because they make me gag. I need a root canal but my dentist says that he has to put the rubber dam on my mouth. Is there a way to find a more relaxed dentist who would be willing to not use a rubber dam just this one time?

    • Hi Donovan – I’ve been getting this question a lot. The dentist does have an obligation to put the rubber dam on because it helps prevent contamination of the root canal with bacteria from your saliva.

      The book we use at my school, Endodontics, Principles and Practice says “The use of the rubber dam in the United States is considered the standard of care. It is mandatory for legal considerations.” Also, you don’t want your dentist to drop some of the small tools they use for root canals down your throat. The rubber dam ensures your safety and ensures that the inside of the tooth doesn’t get infected with bacteria from your mouth.

      I would say that your best bet would be to get put under one of the many varying levels of sedation. Talk with your dentist to see what drug might work best for you. I hope that helps. Good luck with your root canal!

      • This is a torturous horrific device that defies the imagination of those who have trouble breathing, swallowing or who are claustrophobic. This dates back to 1864 and you mean no one has come up with a better idea than this? And what solution does one offer for the multiple patients who have commented on this forum regarding how much they HATE this device? Are we all to find a dentist who will put us under for a dental procedure? I am frustrated and very angry. I came home today without my root canal because I was suffocating under this plastic/ rubber device. Shameful there are no options available to a large part of the population.

        • What ideas do you have to keep the bacteria in your away from your teeth besides some sort of barrier…..?

  2. I had a root canal treatment done with a rubber dam. It wasn’t by choice. It was never offered. I later had a cavity filled by a different dentist who used a dam, which I found to be more comfortable since it allowed me to swallow whenever I needed to without swallowing chemicals. However, I can understand that it may be uncomfortable for some.

    It’s not mandatory to use a dental dam or illegal to do it without. Plus, you must realize that patients may be allergic to the rubber so exceptions must be made.

    • Hi Cindy – That’s too bad that they didn’t use a rubber dam when doing your root canal. In the above comment, I didn’t mean to say that it is illegal to not use the rubber dam when doing a root canal. What I meant is that if the dentist doesn’t use a rubber dam when doing a root canal, then the dentist can be liable for anything bad that happens (for example, if the root canal fails or in more extreme cases if a root canal file gets dropped down the patient’s throat!)

      At my dental school, we always use some form of good isolation when doing root canals. We also have latex-free rubber dams available for those patients with allergies. Thanks for your insightful comments, Cindy!

  3. My seven year old daughter just came back from an appointment with two dental students at our local dental school. She needed one filling and the student dentists were fumbling and fiddling so long with the dental dam that it was causing my daughter unnecessary discomfort. She started crying. They just told her, “You are doing great,” but kept on trying to put on the damn dam. I told them to stop, that I did not want them to continue, and that I had would go to a dentist that either didn’t use a dental dam or one that had more experience putting them on patients. My daughter says, “I couldn’t breathe or swallow. It was very uncomfortable.”

    • Hi Beatríz – Dental dams can be really awkward to put on, especially when you’re just learning as a dental student! It’s probably best that we get our practice on adults. Hopefully your daughter isn’t too traumatized from that experience. I hope everything works out at her next appointment.

      Thanks for your comment and for sharing your experience, Beatríz.

  4. Is it possible that the clamp from the rubber dam can cause damage? One year ago I had an old filling replaced on the very last bottom tooth on the left side of my mouth. The clamp was attached to the bone at the back. It was incredibly painful. I have had nothing but problems since. The new filling had to be removed and a root canal performed. I have had ear pain which travels to the back of my neck as well as problems with my salivary gland. I am currently awaiting an ultrasound on my neck/ear area and an appointment with a specialist. The sad thing is that until this filling was replaced, I didn’t have a single problem with my teeth.

    • Hi Vicki – I have heard of the rubber dam clamp causing damage to the gums around the tooth, but I don’t know of any evidence linking it to ear pain. I’m sorry for the difficulty you’ve had. Hopefully you can get it figured out with the ultrasound.

      I hope that helps. Let me know if you have any other questions, Vicki. Thanks for your comment!

      • Tom, I had a clamp damage my gum and now I need a tissue graft. Should the dentist be liable for that or is it just my bad luck?

    • I have some situation with you, the clamp caused incredible pain, and before this my tooth do not have any problem, now I feel pain aftet eating last for one year, just bad luck

  5. I have had the dams 3times. I prefer them over not…feel much safer. Is it reasonable to have it for all dental work?

    Also, I had RT done 7 years ago with retreatment 3 years ago. no. 30 had crown put on. No. 29 did not. Now it has cracked in the side almost to the middle with pain. Why would I have pain when it has been cleaned out? They say it needs crowned…would there be enough left to crown?

    Is there also a sort of block they can put in your mouth to keep it open? I have TMD, and My chin quivers after about 10 minutes…like muscle spasms

    • Hi Cris –

      Most fillings and root canals can be done with a dental dam in place.

      You can still get pain on a tooth with a root canal because the ligament around the tooth is still alive. If the tooth is cracked, the ligament could be sensing the crack as pain.

      Whether or not there is enough tooth left to crown would depend on how deep the crack is.

      There are a few different varieties of mouth props that we can put in your mouth to keep you open. Ask your dentist about them, as I’m sure they have some on hand.

      I hope that helps. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for your comment, Cris!

  6. Dear Vicki and Tom,

    I recently had a cavity filled and a rubber dam was used. I had a lot of pain after that procedure and the same symptoms that Vicki describes in her post. My dentist referred me to an endodonist as he thought I might need a root canal. However, all the tests with the endodonist did not indicate a need for a root canal. The endodonist prescribed antibiotics to be taken for a week. I had immediate relief on taking the antibiotics. Now I have completed the prescribed week of antibiotics and I feel the pain gradually returning to my jaw, salviary gland and ear. I am wondering if Vicki would update us on her situation to see if she was able to find any relief to her situation or if you have any additional information regarding others who may have the same or similar symptoms. Thank you.

  7. Hi there. I had a fissure sealant placed in my lower left 1st molar today. It was definitely an uncomfortable moment for me when the dentist placed the rubber dam clamp on my 2nd molar. The pressure exerted from the clamp which impinges the gingiva cervical to the tooth is still lingering. Yes, the rubber dam isolation sure has its benefits but as a patient, I sure as hell would not want to go through it again.

    If there is anybody out there who can invent a rubber dam clamp that doesn’t cause or reduce the pain and pressure, I hope you can market your product as soon as possible in the future!

  8. I am so clausterphobic and cant stand the thought of the “clamp” of the dental dam.
    Is there anyway around this?

  9. I hate rubber dams. My teeth are close together, and the dentist chipped one of my teeth. I find them very uncomfortable.

  10. What’s a Claustrophobic patient to do? I LOATHE The damn Dental Dams. I have a ton of trouble breathing through my nose, and am a constant swallower…it is literally impossible to be comfortable with a dam in front of your mouth!

    • So what did you do? I was refused a root canal today because I could not breathe with that dam dental dam smothering me…and charged $125 for NOTHING! Did you find someone who doesn’t use the dam?

      • Hi Jean – There are many dentists that do not use a rubber dam for root canals. If you call them up, you can ask them if they would be willing to not use one on you. I hope that helps!

    • i am in my 80s. never had a rubber dam till now. i hve asthma and find it suffocating. i have urge to swallow, too much saliva. the suction tube did not work well. mouth open an hour was unbearable.

  11. I am in lots of pain! Never had a dental Dan for just a filling, but only to remove the silver amalgam years ago. I went in last week for a filling bc I had a stress fracture due to grinding and clenching that appeared from recent stressors. I am more stressed now!!! During the insertion of the dental dam I had serious pain from the metal clamp and almost jumped our of the chair!! He said it was from the abfractions o have from grinding (exposed dentin/receding gum)…. I was so numb the side if my head to eat was in pain for first time too… Not sure why… Anyways, I go home and in lots of pain for 3 days!! I finally can open my mouth all the way and feel a chip in my last upper molar where the dental dam was!!! Really!!!?? WTF! $800 later and another tooth to repair!! I’m pissed. I do not recommend dental dams. They really need other alternatives made out of plastic or rubber to protect our sensitive teeth.

  12. It is clear that dentists in usa&other Western countries are charging huge amount in the name og quality and material they use.same work like impants,rct,crowns are very cheap in cost in INDIA.also success rate is higher as compared to eestern countries. Most of patients feedback i read in ur site is negative in rct process.thats because they are used to practice on dummies .rubberdam are used for good but mostly for making patient feel complex treatment Is done so fees will be huge.

  13. Dental dams suck. If you’re claustrophobic in any way, or tend to swallow a lot, they are horrible. I found it very difficult to swallow, though the dentist did drop trickles of water down my throat during the procedure to help, I’ve had three root canals and this is the first time the dam was used. Never again!

    • I will NEVER use one of those things due to an inability to breathe or swallow! Endodontist numbed me and afterward told me they were using this torturous device. I tried three times but could not breathe! He still charged me $125 and I left with NOTHING DONE. These devices should be optional for claustrophobic patients or mouth breathers, I HATE THEM! Now what am I supposed to do about my tooth? I am SO ANGRY RIGHT NOW!

      • Jean — I just had the exact same experience today with an endodontist for my first-ever root canal, and I also had a claustrophobic attack and had to stop. I left without it getting done and I was very, very upset. I need to have two root canals done, as I have toothaches and a decaying root, but I feel like I have no options. I am a severely claustrophobic person, but somehow I’ve gotten through cavity fillings during my life. But this was terrible — in addition to the dental dam, the endodontist also put in some kind of “spacer” which kept my mouth propped open. I was unable to swallow or talk! As a claustrophobic person, I knew that I would not be able to make it through an hour (or more) procedure. I’m wondering if you found an alternative, or whether you found a doctor that would not use the dam? Or did you choose a dentist that uses sedatives? Just wondering what you ended up doing?

        Thanks,
        Adam

      • Jean,

        I had the same experience today with an endodontist that used a dental dam for what was supposed to be my first root canal. He also used some kind of spacer to prop my mouth open so I was unable to swallow or talk. It was awful I am severely claustrophobic, so called it off and left without the root canal getting done. I found it intolerable. I left very, very upset. I’m wondering if you’ve found an alternative? A dentist that won’t use the dam? Or a dentist that uses sedatives? I’m curious to know if I have any options, as my tootaches are not going to get better by themselves! Hope to hear from you.

        • Hello!
          Please do not bend under the intolerable attitude of the dentist!
          I found another one that can work as normal dentist respecting the patients!
          Tanya

  14. Heya i’m for the first time here. I camne
    acros this boarrd and I find It truly useful & it helpd me oout
    much. I hope to giive something bback and help others like
    you aided me.

  15. I am 2/3 treatments through an RCT. I’m happy that I had the rubber dam used during the last procedure to keep me from the chance of swallowing bleach used to clean the canals or swallowing any tools/fragments from the procedure.

    However, although at some point I may have a crown put on, I also may not wish to have a crown. The clamp used to fix on the rubber dam around my tooth has left the enamel of the treated tooth scratched. I can’t help but feel I’m being pushed into deciding to have a crown applied.

    Otherwise, apart from one moment when a flap of the rubber dam covered my nose and I found it difficult to take a breath (easily rectified) the rubber dam meant I felt protected from the treatment. I always seem to be of those patients who ends up swallowing amalgam or something! It definitely helped me relax, and probably the dentist because it is harder as a patient to stop him working to talk! lol

  16. I had a rubber dam clamp pop off of my front tooth. It also popped off an old filling and it sure feels like some of my tooth came off with it. Has this ever happened to anyone else?? I was originally told the tooth could be saved (before the root canal) After the clamp popped off I was told the tooth could not be saved. This was done at a local dental school and now I have to go back, any comments on what you think was done wrong??

  17. Just had a root canal done today. First root canal with a dam. I’ve had 5 before but my dentist before never used them. Insurance change meant a doctor change. It was so traumatic and
    Painful because the dentist didn’t have me numb enough before he started drilling & the dam thing was horrific.im a mouth breather & he told me to breathe thru my nose. 3 hours later I left the office with bruises inside my mouth from the dam. Cut on my lip and some how a cut on my tongue!!! Never left the dentist in this bad of shape. I sure hope this dentist did the root canal right. I will sign off on holding a dentist liability just to NEVER. Have that Dam thing again.

  18. I’ve had 2 root canals, one just the other day. She used the clamp, but not the rubber thing. The clamp has cut my mouth and its really painful.

  19. Just had a root canal with a dam. Will never do it again. I felt like I couldn’t breathe and the dentist was less than happy with me. It popped off once had to be replaced. It was not a very good experience. I’ll have a tooth pulled before I go through that again. I’m usually pretty relaxed at the dentist but not this time. To top it off now my jaw hurts and I still can’t bite down without discomfort on that tooth.

  20. I went to my local dentist and got my first root canal. They placed a dental dam around my mouth and carried on with the procedure that lasted about an hour. Well my problem is that, my face started itching that night and I broke out with fever blisters and hives and it’s just gotten worse because it has now turned into sores. My face has still not healed and well it’s been a week today, but to make matters worse last night I started breaking out with small, tiny white heads around my mouth and on my chin now and my face just itches like crazy! I just want to know what’s going on and should I see an allergist? This has never happened before. Please help………

  21. I hate going to the dentist! I’ve been putting it off for a few years now, because I know I have a hole that needs to be fixed. Having the dental dam in definitely does make the procedure shorter and easier, so I can get out of there quicker. BUT, I think the clap has damaged my gums. I had two clamps on two different teeth. Both those teeth have since then been highly sensitive and painful. One of them I can’t chew with properly. I told my dentist this (but this was before I realised it was the clamps that caused it), and he said the pain was not coming from inside the tooth but from the side where the gums recede. Well I never had such issues before. Now I have to use sensodyne toothpaste, which isn’t ideal as I’m trying to cut out environmental toxins and chemicals. After reading this post I’m definitely not having any more dental dams!

  22. Hi.

    I really hate dental dams. I have put up with them in the past, but they’re very uncomfortable. I’m a mouth breather so that’s part of the reason. I bigger issue for me is that I can’t talk when I need to tell my dentist something and often times I need to tell him I’m in pain or need a break. I have very severe dental phobia and the dental dam is a big part of it. It’s a reminder to me of past traumatic dental experiences I’ve had, primarily with root canal treatments.

    I’m going to get a filling soon and my dentist wants to use one. This makes me very nervous as I don’t think I’ll be able to tolerate it. I’m very reluctant to have any dental work done at this time.

    JJ

  23. I had a filling replaced on a lower back left molar because of a chipped tooth. The chip was on the cusp of this tooth which had a filling on it and the dentist said it was better to replace the filling so that the tooth is stronger.
    Anyway, he put a dental dam in and was rough with me. He was putting a lot of pressure on my front teeth to pry my mouth open. He also had trouble getting the floss on because my teeth are tight. I have been in some pain for 4 days now and it’s my other teeth as well, including my front teeth. I think that the floss used with the dental dam and his roughness with me has caused this. I really hope everything will be okay. I’ve never had pain like this before after the dentist. It was only a chipped tooth from biting down on an olive pit and I had no pain before going to the dentist.

  24. I just had two fillings done and they put the rubber dental dam on me. It was uncomfortable to me. I could not breathe with it on. My next dentist visit will be to pull some teeth. I hope they will not use the rubber dental dams. I threw such a fit that I am seeing a new dentist.

  25. I have a gag reflex. The last time a dental dam was tried I could not tolerate it so we did an apiectomy instead. If I have to have a dental dam I would just as soon have the tooth extracted. You can’t swallow and its difficult to breathe with it on. I don’t think sedation is the solution. What is your response?

  26. In some parts of the world dentists use those metal clips to break the enamel while setting dams in place, you hear the craking, and see small caries later, I think this means more work

  27. I had a filling today with a dental dam, for the first time. I have to say it was as close to excruciating as it gets. I hated it. The clamping part was horrible and never got comfortable. When the dentist started the second filling, and dam, the clamp slipped off. They tied to put it on even tighter and I burst into tears. Mind you, I have a lot of anxiety of the dentist, and I’m afraid this experience may have made it even worse. He sent me home with a prescription of Valium for the next appointment so I can get rest of the work done. Nice guy but I felt like these clamps were some kind of mideval torture devices.

  28. ‎ Hello Tom!‎
    I’m Nelli from Helsinki-Finland

    Glad to find your page. I read carefully the questions and your answers, but I ‎couldn’t found any answers to my case First want to thank you for be a ‎patience and politeness. ‎
    I want to tell you about the fatal end of emergency treatment maxillary tooth ‎root 7 with diagnosis of pulpitis in March 2013.‎

    The materials used for the treatment of the tooth root with the diagnosis ‎pulpitis are Ubistesin, Canasol, Ultracal and Cavit paste. Perhaps more than ‎two hours after the effects of anesthesia I had terrible pain in the throat and ‎teeth. It was anesthetized also my throat. During the treatment process several ‎times asked assistant to rinse the mouth because I had a terrible bitter taste ‎and feel / smell of welded metal / iron. ‎
    Two weeks I was in terrible pain, root canals open and without a temporary ‎filling. Bearing in mind that tooth 9 with chronic periodontitis (the reason is ‎short / half-sealable). According to medical data ‎‎(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25129024) based on the calculated ‎average distance of this study, only a few premolars (and if so second ‎premolars) will present a risk of violating the border of maxillary sinus in ‎conventional surgical or endodontic treatment or in case of tooth extraction.‎
    To avoid a serious infection that can cause damage to the surrounding bone at the root ‎of the tooth and infect other teeth.‎
    I called often to municipal dental care or the dentist himself to continue / correct their mistakes, ‎but when the bill arrived I was able to connect with them.‎
    The mouth can reveal … the first signs of serious illness when DNA damage is a change ‎in chemical structure of DNA, such as DNA strand break, the bottom of the backbone of ‎missing DNA, or chemically altered base, such as 8-OHdG. Damage to DNA which occurs ‎in nature may be due to hydrolytic or metabolic processes.‎
    Two weeks ago I was in terrible pain, root canals open and without a ‎temporary filling. Bearing in mind that tooth 9 with chronic periodontitis (the ‎reason is short / half-sealable). According to medical data ‎‎(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25129024) based on the calculated ‎average distance of this study, only a few premolars (and if so second ‎premolars) will present a risk of violating the border of maxillary sinus in ‎conventional surgical or endodontic treatment or in case of tooth extraction.‎
    On the fourteenth day was urgent treatment of upper jaw tooth 7. The dentist ‎took a dental X-ray needle picture and continue treatment, but it was too late – ‎I went often in hospital from a variety of symptoms – palpitations, dizziness, ‎stomach pains, sinus disorder, headache, hair loss, insomnia, sensitivity to ‎light, dermatological problem – any face cream is peeling off my face, allergic ‎reactions to antibiotics, medicines for the treatment of sinusitis, or cholesterol ‎treatment, strong muscle nerve pain, permanent metallic taste in the mouth
    ‎ After laboratory tests, ultrasound, computed tomography and the nuclear MRI ‎studies I was to urgently
    surgery of liver cancer.‎
    Dear Tom, I was 47 kg. Cholesterol was still high ( I don’t use grease), my ‎physics and symptoms are equivalent to a person suffering from metabolites, ‎have also iron intake, the function of the immune system is destroyed by ‎untreated / undiagnosed immune diseases (only eye doctor has diagnosed ‎Sjögren’s syndrome), inflammation of the liver. But as usual I was diagnosed ‎with hepatitis B … and infectious! We did research on my husband for hepatitis ‎B and it was negative. The C – reactive protein was 50-70 mg / L. before ‎surgery, after was 110 mg / L
    Here is a bit of important information:‎
    CRP-determinations of the most important areas of application are bacterial ‎and separation of viral infection (CRP rises generally stronger bacterial ‎infections), treatment monitoring of bacterial infections, detection of tissue ‎damage and the extent of the assessment (eg. Acute myocardial infarction, ‎pancreatitis), follow-up of inflammatory diseases activity and differential ‎diagnosis (eg. CRP rheumatoid arthritis rises, the LED in dermatomyositis and ‎reaches a maximum of slightly; pyelonephritis CRP rises, the lower urinary ‎tract in superficial infections does not rise), follow-up of malignant diseases ‎and post-operative complications.‎
    I never had bleeding gums or signs of tooth decay; tooth pain start always an ‎internal.‎

    Dear Tom, first I want to apologize that I write to you with details, I just would ‎like to help for easier way to resolve the questions.‎
    Second, I tried to not make spelling mistakes, but I am sure there is, perhaps, ‎because it is not my native language.‎
    Here are the questions:‎
    ‎1. In acute dentist visit time or first aid the need for treatment do the dentist ‎have right to go inside tooth canal / s if there is not enough time?‎
    ‎2. I know that never before the dentist took a dental X-ray needle picture In the ‎second visit when the tooth was without a temporary seal on what special ‎needs dentist had to took this kind of picture?‎
    ‎3. Tooth 9 with chronic periodontitis and risk for sinusitis – what is the ‎likelihood of contamination of tooth 7 from bacterial inflammation?‎
    ‎4. If hepatitis B is not caused liver cancer, which is the real reason?‎
    ‎5 Teeth 7and 9 were removed, there was no other way out, however, replace ‎tooth 9 is a permanent hypersensitive to cold and warm, even if the water is ‎not ice-cold or hot. What are the cause of the hypersensitivity of the removed ‎tooth 9?‎
    ‎ Here are the questions:‎
    ‎1. In acute dentist visit time or first aid the need for treatment do the dentist ‎have right to go inside tooth canal / s if there is not enough time?‎
    ‎2. I know that never before the dentist took a dental X-ray needle picture In the ‎second visit when the tooth was without a temporary seal on what special ‎needs dentist had to took this kind of picture?‎
    ‎3. Tooth 9 with chronic periodontitis and risk for sinusitis – what is the ‎likelihood of contamination of tooth 7 from bacterial inflammation?‎
    ‎4. If hepatitis B is not caused liver cancer, which is the real reason?‎
    ‎5. Teeth 7 and 9 were removed, there was no other way out, however, replace ‎tooth 9 is a permanent hypersensitive to cold and warm, even if the water is ‎not ice-cold or hot. What causes / what is possible a possible cause of the ‎removed tooth hypersensitivity 9?‎
    ‎6. What are the causes of dry mouth and throat, even i drink enough water?‎

    With patience and excitement i’ll expect your opinions and answers!
    Thanks!

  29. I just had a old silver filling replaced it went good my dentist put a rubber dam on felt comfortable not getting all that debre in my mouth. Looks like I need to return soon to replace more of those old silver filling

  30. I had a root canal with a rubber dam, i found it to be very good as i could swallow easily & it felt like there was a separation between my mouth & the endodontist. I have been going to a periodontist for many years as i have lost 70 % of my bone in the lower jaw. I find the periodontal treatment quite an ordeal despite having the maximum dose of anaesthetic . I had never had a root canal before & found it was painless. I could only hear the drilling and scraping so i encourage anyone who is apprehensive to not be & i would recommend to go to an endodontist as that is their specialty & you can rest assured you will be in good hands posted by Jo

  31. My dentist tried to use a dental dam during inlay procedure.
    I found it horrible: I could not swallow and this obstruction led me to experience a claustrophobic fit.
    We tried 2×2 times with a week of rest. However, at the final attempt my heart beat went up to the sky and I lost feeling in my arms.
    He refuses to apply the inlay building without a dam and offers medication.
    I am against any sedatives. During one of my other dental manipulations, after applying the regular anesthesia, I stop breathing, my face and lips got white (the dentist told me this later) and almost fell into unconsciousness.
    According to some readings I had, there is another technique “indirect inlay”.
    I would appreciate if you can share anything on it and I to be able to present it to my dentist.
    I believe it must be somewhere a crossing point: between his knowledge, experience and pride, and my uncontrollable body and mind reaction. Up to now, I have a temporary filling and some limited time to think when to go and be sedated.
    I have been under personnel stress for the last year and in my case cannot be seen as a regular one.
    I also consider phycological help. However, this will take time.

  32. When I was young (probably 45-50 years ago), the butcher — I mean dentist — that I went to used the rubber dam approximately half of the time. The way I perceived it, was whenever the rubber dam came anywhere near my mouth, it meant that I was going to be in for some long/deep drilling…..

  33. I recently experienced the rummier dam for the first time & it didn’t bother me at all. My prior dentist didn’t use them no had I heard of this prior to my moving from Ohio to N.J. Dec 2016. My brother who went to dental school many yrs ago recommended his dentist. I realize not everyone will feel this way, understandable. The only thing I learned a day after for a few days is the muscle tissue under my lip has been sore due to the pressure of the rubber clamp. It blistered & popped…eating hasn’t helped. I can deal with it & as said, the rubber clamp didn’t bother me at all during dental procedure. I do sympathize with those who didn’t like it all.

  34. I had forgotten all about those dams until I had a few root canals done about 7 years ago on 18,19, 30.
    Didn’t do much good I guess considering all 3 root canals failed within 4, years.
    Now I have my own dam it’s called I’m not giving any more of my dam money to any damn dentists.

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