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Guide to Better Tooth Isolation in Dentistry
Ask any dentist what the main causes of procedure failure are and inadequate tooth isolation will undoubtedly be close to the top of the list. Even though it’s been a staple of modern dentistry for decades, isolation remains a pesky but critical step in both endodontic and restorative procedures. It’s not just one aspect of isolation that makes it difficult—tooth isolation by nature isn’t easy, and when you add in trying to keep your patient comfortable and happy it can seem like an impossible task.
Here at Dentsply Sirona, we’re focused on empowering you to provide the best possible dental care to your patients. To help you do this, we’ve summarised the basics you should consider to provide better tooth isolation, ensuring an optimal restorative field is completely isolated, prepped, and ready for the next stage in the restorative procedure.
Why isolate?
The goals of isolation in dentistry are straightforward – avoid contamination of the restorative field and protect the patient against unwanted contact with products used in endodontic or restorative therapy. Today’s restorative procedures are mainly based on adhesive dentistry with isolation being most critical for success. If the restorative field is contaminated with saliva, the physical properties and ultimate success of the restoration may be compromised. Maintaining isolation throughout the entire procedure ensures the best possible outcome for restorative as well as endodontic procedures. The primary aim of endodontic treatment is to reduce the bacterial burden as much as possible. When done correctly, proper tooth isolation helps avoid additional bacterial contamination as well as the unwanted and unnecessary contact of the rinsing solutions with healthy soft tissues.
Take a modern approach to rubber dental dam isolation.
Traditional single-tooth rubber dam isolation can be extremely time-consuming and uncomfortable for the patient. When using the rubber dam material, different rubber qualities are often tried out and dental floss and water-soluble lubricants are used. This is why you should choose a dental dam that is more comfortable and easier to use.
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2 Hickel et al: Longevity of occlusally-stressed restorations in posterior primary teeth. Am J Dent. 2005
3 Internal data on file. For more information, contact Consumables-Data-Requests@dentsplysirona.com