Dental dam

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Dental dams or rubber dams are essentially square sheets of latex used in dentistry, specifically endodontic treatment (root canals). They are also used during sexual activities as a safer sex technique.

[edit] Use in dentistry

Dental dam in patient's mouth.

A dental dam, also known as in Europe as a "Kofferdamm" (from German), is used mainly in endodontic treatment and when putting fillings into teeth. It is made from thin latex rubber. Because of possible latex allergy, it is also available in silicone.

The main function is to isolate the tooth being treated from its environment, in particular from the bacteria in the oral cavity. The rubber dam is held over individual teeth or groups of teeth by appropriate clips or threads (ligatures) along the edge of the gum. The tooth crown stands out from the rubber dam through individual holes made by hole pliers, and permits a clean and dry treatment of the appropriate tooth without admission of blood and saliva.

Routine use of dental dams is not always appropriate because of some difficulties: for instance communication with the patient is strongly reduced and the patient may feel restricted.

[edit] Use in oral sex

When held over the vulva or anus, a dental dam protects both the person performing oral sex on those body parts and the person receiving it from potential harm from sexually transmitted diseases.

A makeshift dental dam can be created by cutting a condom or latex glove to create a rectangle of latex. This technique is potentially dangerous, because latex gloves are manufactured with various thicknesses, affecting the strength of the latex, and they are not lubricated. A risk of accidentally perforating the latex during cutting is present. Also, the resulting rectangle is much smaller than a dental dam.