How to Place a Dental Dam on a Tooth

Dental dams are protective rubber sheaths used by dentists to isolate and protect areas of the mouth during routine procedures. A dental dam ensures that no fluids pass into the mouth cavity while a dentist is examining or working on a tooth. Dental dams also increase visibility in the area that is being worked on, and help prevent infections by adding an extra protective layer between the dentist and patient.

Things You'll Need

• Dam punch
• Clamp
• Dam frame
• Dental pick
• Ligature
• Black spoon

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Instructions

• 1

  Determine the location of the tooth, and examine the surrounding area. Use this information to identify what kind of tooth you are working with so you can choose the appropriate materials. The dams, dam punches and clamps are all specially manufactured to be used on specific teeth. A molar will require a molar clamp and a larger dam punch, while an anterior tooth will require an anterior clamp and a smaller punch.

• 2

  Open the appropriate dental dam. Use your dental pick to mark the location of the tooth you wish to isolate on the selected dam. Once you have marked the location, use the specified dam punch to punch a hole in the dam at the marked location.

• 3

  Position your clamp over the selected tooth, then tighten the lingual jaws of the clamp. Once the lingual jaws are secured, tighten the facial jaws of the clamp to secure the clamp in place.

• 4

  Stretch out the dam, and place the hole in the dam over the clamp.

• 5

  Lay the dam frame over the dam, pulling the edges of the dam around the perimeter of the frame so that the dam catches on the frame prongs.

• 6

  Use ligature to isolate the tooth. Twist one end of the ligature around the tooth clamp, and use the other end to further stretch the dam and isolate the tooth as necessary.

• 7

  Use a black spoon to push any exposed edges of the damn into the recesses of the patient's gums. Use care with the spoon to avoid causing the patient any discomfort. Confirm that the patient is comfortable breathing. If the patient expresses any difficulty, use your dental pick to cut a U-shaped hole in the area beneath the nostrils so that they do not become blocked.