NO CANAL TREATMENT WITHOUT RUBBER DAM: NECESSITY OR SUGGESTION?

Abstract

Modern dental practice involves many procedures that aim to reduce stress for the patient and, at the same time, increase comfort for the dentist. On this wise, the rubber dam has been available in the dental field for over 150 years. Although its advantages are indisputable and it is an essential condition for the success of endodontic treatment, in the literature there is a lot of information that the rubber dam is not usually used by dentists in endodontic treatments. There are many unsustainable reasons for not using it: high-cost price, non-acceptance of the patient, increased time for application, etc. Because the dam is not used, negative results can be observed, the endangerment by aspiration or swallowing of tools, materials and solutions, the spread of microorganisms through aerosols and even the transmission of diseases.