Kofferdam is a tool of modern dentistry. It is a large-area rubber cloth. It is placed in the mouth with the help of clamps and a rubber dam forceps and stretched like a sail. All teeth, except the teeth to be treated, are covered by the rubber cloth. In this way, the dentist's field of work is sealed off from the rest of the oral cavity, similar to the surgical field of a surgeon. This procedure is used in particular for root canal treatment of a plastic filling, a ceramic inlay filling or an amalgam removal. The inflow of saliva and the effect of moisture from the breathing air can thus be prevented.
The rubber dam is usually made of elastic plastic or rubber. In addition to shielding the mouth cavity for easier saliva-free treatment of the opened tooth, it also prevents foreign bodies such as amalgam residues, crown residues, pathogens or fluids from being swallowed or inhaled.
One of the greatest advances in modern dentistry is the introduction of adhesive technology. This allows composites (plastics) to be bonded directly to the teeth. They are used in minimally invasive filling techniques and as adhesives for ceramic materials, e.g. for the attachment of ceramic inlays, onlays or ceramic partial crowns.
Every do-it-yourselfer knows that glued areas must be dry. The same applies to teeth. Here even the humidity of the breathing air is sufficient for the material not to bond properly with the tooth substance, which leads to leaks in the edge area of the filling and thus to attack points for new caries. We would describe such fillings as insufficient, as they are often already recognizable by the brownish discolored areas around the edge of the filling. In these cases, the rubber dam can have a positive effect on the longevity.
In the first experience with the rubber dam, the procedure seems unpleasant for the patient, but shortly afterwards it turns out to be a relief, because the often annoying suction of water in the mouth is no longer necessary. Here only the own saliva collects if at all, which can be swallowed confidently. Purely from the patient's psyche, the sealing off with the rubber dam even gives the impression that the dentist is not working in his mouth at all. All the work is shifted in front of the rubber tensioning cloth. For the dentist, such a working area is an optimal prerequisite for precise and quiet working.
