A dental dam is a protective layer your family dentist may use when performing a procedure on one of your teeth in order to isolate the specific tooth and prevent risk of infection in other teeth or in other areas of your mouth.

A dental dam is a thin square of latex rubber, or silicone that creates a clean, dry operating area, retracts your lips and cheeks and allows treatment of your problem teeth without contamination from blood or saliva.

The dentist creates an opening in the protective layer to allow access to isolated crown or crowns, to prevent the spread of bacteria and infection.

The benefits of using a dental dam:

• Keeps the focus area dry so that blood and saliva don’t cause moisture on the tooth when placing a filling or crown. This allows the adhesive to bond correctly, which will make it more durable.
• Prevents the treated area from being exposed to bacteria in your saliva and oral cavity.
• Protects the gums and tongue during treatment.
• Prevents chemicals and bonding/sculpting materials from falling into the mouth and/or from being ingested during treatment.
• Using a dental dam also protects the dentist from exposure to blood and saliva.

The staff at Distinctive Dentistry undergoes on-going training to ensure you have cutting edge expertise you can trust. Our office is easy-to-access, located in Tacoma, WA serving patients in the greater Tacoma area including Gig Harbor, Puyallup, and Federal Way. Award winning dentist Dr. Keith Phillips has over 25 years’ experience in cosmetic dentistry. You can feel at ease discussing any aspect of your oral health with Dr. Phillips and members of the highly trained, non-judgmental staff. Your oral health and overall health matters most.