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Rubber dam and bite block ? for dentist

K

K-Bird

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 29, 2010
Messages
475
If a person has a tooth to be worked on way in the back-the last one-does a dentist have to use a rubber dam or bite block? Can they work back there without anything? Or are there other options?
 
It is very difficult to treat back teeth (specially the upper teeth), especially with patients who find it hard to open their mouth wide for a long time.
The rubber dam and the bite block can indeed help. Nothing is obligatory ,it is simply very helpful.
 
I had to see an endodontist for 2 appointments each lasting about 2hrs. For the 1st appointment she used the rubber dam and bite block and the next day my jaw ached liked crazy. I also found it awful with the bite block as I kept thinking I was going to swallow it. For the 2nd appointment I asked her to leave the bite block out and I have to say I found it much easier without it, even though it was for such a long period of time.
 
I had to see an endodontist for 2 appointments each lasting about 2hrs. For the 1st appointment she used the rubber dam and bite block and the next day my jaw ached liked crazy. I also found it awful with the bite block as I kept thinking I was going to swallow it. For the 2nd appointment I asked her to leave the bite block out and I have to say I found it much easier without it, even though it was for such a long period of time.

Bite block has to be a perfect fit to be a bonus. I used one once on upper teeth and loved it, then declined one for rct on lower, as it seemed to be stretching my jaw too far. Note this was my decision not the dentist's ;).

For an rct, it greatly increases the chances of the rct succeeding if a rubber dam is used..as it isolates the tooth from saliva...bite block is optional though.

There's more than one way to attach a rubber dam though and you need to be comfortable and feel able to breathe. The rubber dam also protects you from swallowing nasty tasting substances and from anything being dropped.
 
I felt like the bite block was holding my mouth open too wide, apparently I have quite a small mouth, so that could be why I didn't find it comfortable.

The dam thing itself I had no problem with. The endodontist I saw said she would never do a root canal without using one and I think it does make sense using one.
 
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