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Dentists rely on several industry tools to provide their patients with reliable dental work. If you run a practice, it’s essential that your team uses dental dams when applying an implant, crown, or another prosthetic; otherwise, the procedure will be harder to perform. If your team uses dental dams infrequently, here’s what you should know so that you can encourage their usage.

Why Dams Are Necessary

Dental dams are essential patches of rubber used to seal off certain portions of a patient’s mouth, exposing only the area of operation. For example, dental assistants may block a patient's gums to protect them from an irritating chemical adhesive or bleaching agent. This situation typically occurs when attaching a crown or performing teeth whitening.

Dams are also useful for preventing debris from traveling further into the patient’s mouth, like when you’re removing decay or reshaping a tooth. Additionally, these rubber barriers can hold back the lips or block the tongue and cheek from interfering with the procedure.

How to Use Them

dental workWhile you should choose the dam’s size and thickness based on the patient’s age or mouth size, larger pieces are often used for procedures toward the back of the mouth. Thin dams are typically used for root canals and other forms of dental work that involve the tooth pulp, while heavier varieties are useful for areas that will receive more prodding from tools.

Punch holes in the dam for the teeth you want to isolate and use a clamp to secure it to a neighboring tooth. Hold the clamp, and stretch the dam over the anchor tooth until it catches on the frame. Secure the dam over the tooth on the other end, and pull it over the clamp with your pointer finger. To make it easier for your patient to breathe, make a small incision in the rubber under their nostrils.

 

Your team should always use dams when applying dental work to ensure the treatment’s effectiveness. If you need a new prosthetic to redo the procedure with a dam, turn to Aloha Dental Laboratory in Aiea, HI. These professionals provide dentists with implants, dentures, and crowns, as well as fast turnaround times and accurate results. For more information about their services, visit them online or call (808) 947-2877.

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