Changes in Sealing Performance with Rubber Dam Isolation Using Different Materials and Instruments

<p> Purpose: Rubber dams are widely used to isolate diseased teeth from the oral cavity to perform antiseptic procedures. Though rubber dams are thought to be good at isolating diseased teeth, there is a risk of leakage from areas of poor fit between the rubber dam sheet and the surface of the affected tooth. Various rubber dam sheets have appeared in recent years, but few studies have compared their performance in isolating the treatment field based on the characteristics of each type of sheet. In this study, differences in the amount of leakage from the treatment field with each type of sheet used in rubber dams and methods to decrease the impact when leakage does occur were investigated.</p><p> Methods: To detect the amount of leakage from areas of poor fit in the rubber dam sheet, a rubber dam was used on a jaw model with artificial teeth using four types of rubber dam sheets of different materials and thicknesses. After injecting water with an air turbine toward the tooth to which the rubber dam sheet was attached, the weight of cotton rolls fixed under the clamp was measured with a precision scale, and the weights before and after the experimental manipulation were compared. To investigate methods of reducing leakage, edge caulking was applied around the entire periphery of the affected tooth cervix after the rubber dam was affixed, and, as in the abovementioned method, the change in weight of the cotton rolls was measured.</p><p> Results: The results of the comparison of the amount of leakage with the different types of rubber dam sheet revealed a significant increase in the weights of the cotton rolls from leakage only in the thin non-latex sheet group as the NLB group, whereas the LB and LG groups, which were latex sheet groups, showed dehiscence from the hole. In an experiment with edge caulking added to the rubber dam, no significant increases in weight were seen in any group.</p><p> Conclusion: Leakage when using a rubber dam occurred regardless of the state of dehiscence of the hole in the rubber dam sheet, suggesting that this leakage could be decreased by using edge caulking.</p>