Rubber Dam: Single Tooth Isolation Posterior

Step-by-Step Single Tooth Isolation: Upper Right Molar with a Tiger Clamp

This video is a demonstration of how to achieve single-tooth rubber dam isolation on an upper right molar, using a mannequin head. We focus on the winged clamp technique, specifically using a Tiger 13A clamp, and walk through each stage from preparing the dam to its final placement and removal.

Key Topics Covered

• Clamp selection, specifically the Tiger 13A for an upper right molar, and how these winged clamps are versatile for any molar
• Punching the rubber dam: using the largest hole for the clamped tooth, and how we'd typically punch one size down for adjacent teeth if it were a multiple tooth isolation
• Loading the winged clamp (13A) onto the rubber dam sheet correctly
• The technique of placing the clamp, rubber dam, and frame together as one unit onto the tooth
• Flossing the contacts, especially the technique for the more challenging distal contact, ensuring the dam is passed through gently
• Tips for dam management during placement, including using an assistant to help retract and ensure patient comfort (like keeping the dam off the nose), and how to tidy the dam by rolling or tucking edges

Clinical Relevance

This video offers a very practical guide to a fundamental procedure essential in daily dentistry. Achieving effective single-tooth isolation is critical for moisture control, asepsis, and protecting the patient during endodontic treatment and many restorative procedures, and the techniques we're shown here are directly applicable.

Learning Outcomes

After watching this, we should be better able to:

• Select an appropriate winged clamp, like the Tiger 13A, for isolating an upper molar
• Confidently apply a rubber dam to a single posterior tooth using the winged technique
• Effectively floss the rubber dam through interproximal contacts, including the distal
• Manage the rubber dam and frame for optimal placement and patient comfort