Rubber Dam Applications in Endodontic Practice

Rubber dam isolation has become a cornerstone of contemporary endodontic care, offering reliable physical separation of the operative field from the oral environment. By sealing off salivary and microbial ingress, it preserves asepsis, enhances visibility, and reduces procedural complications such as instrument aspiration or ingestion. In addition to providing superior infection control, rubber dam application improves the accuracy of working length determination, optimises irrigation efficacy and allows the clinician to maintain a moisture-free field essential for adhesive materials. Despite well-documented clinical advantages, adoption varies widely across regions and clinical settings. Contributory factors include clinician training, perceived time investment, equipment availability and patient acceptance. Recent innovations have focused on non-latex materials for allergy mitigation, anatomically contoured frames to improve patient comfort and modular clamp designs for multirooted teeth. Globally, professional guidelines now regard rubber dam isolation as the standard of care in root canal treatment, and educational curricula emphasise hands-on competency. Ongoing research seeks to refine application techniques, integrate digital workflows and evaluate long-term outcomes to further entrench its role in delivering safe, effective endodontic therapy.

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Rubber Dam Applications in Endodontic Practice publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in rubber dam applications in endodontic practice across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Rubber dam: A thin, flexible sheet used to isolate one or more teeth from the oral cavity during dental procedures to maintain a dry, aseptic field.

Endodontic treatment: A dental procedure, commonly known as root canal therapy, that involves the removal of infected or inflamed pulp tissue within a tooth’s canals, followed by cleaning, shaping and obturation.

Isolation: The practice of physically separating the operative site from saliva, blood and other oral fluids to prevent contamination and improve procedural accuracy.

Clamp: A metal or polymer device used to secure the rubber dam around the tooth neck, ensuring a tight seal and stable positioning during treatment.

High-volume evacuator: A suction instrument that removes excess fluids and debris from the operative field, often used in conjunction with rubber dam to optimise visibility and dryness.

References

1. Dental-Dam for Infection Control and Patient Safety during Clinical Endodontic Treatment: Preferences of Dental Patients. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2018).
2. Why dentists don’t use rubber dam during endodontics and how to promote its usage?. BMC Oral Health (2016).
3. Frequency and Influencing Factors of Rubber Dam Usage in Tianjin: A Questionnaire Survey. International Journal of Dentistry (2016).