A rubber dam is a flexible sheet placed around a tooth — usually with a clamp and frame — so the working area is separated from the rest of the mouth. The clinic photograph with this article shows a tooth isolated with a black rubber dam and a metal clamp, with thin marked cones placed in the tooth during canal treatment.
What is it for?
Saliva and moisture interfere with many filling materials and with cleaning root canals. Isolation reduces saliva reaching the field and keeps the tongue and cheeks away, so the work is clearer and more controlled. That is especially useful in root canal treatment and some dental fillings that need a dry surface.
Not a new invention, and not for every procedure
Rubber dam isolation has been used in dentistry for a long time. It is not a modern marketing device, and it is not used at every visit: examinations, cleaning, and some procedures do not need this isolation. At this clinic many appropriate cases are treated with a rubber dam, while some cases do not require it. The decision follows the procedure and the tooth — not a single rule for every patient.