Evaluation of Rubber Dam Use in Endodontic Treatments in Terms of Patients' Awareness Level, Acceptability, and Usage Experience

Sena Kaşıkçı; Sena Kolunsağ Özbek

doi:10.58600/eurjther2025

Authors

Sena Kaşıkçı Department of Endodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, Kocaeli University, Kocaeli, Türkiye https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4270-9467
Sena Kolunsağ Özbek Department of Endodontics, Kocaeli University Faculty of Dentistry, Kocaeli, Türkiye https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9631-2062

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58600/eurjther2025

Keywords:

Endodontic treatment, patient, rubber dam, survey

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to measure patients' awareness levels about rubber dam used in endodontic treatments and their opinions about the necessity of its use, to evaluate their endodontic treatment experiences with rubber dam, and to compare the relationship between these opinions and treatment experience.

Methods: A survey including 16-questions was designed to access the participants' demographic information and previous rubber dam experiences, their current experience, and their preferences for the use of rubber dams in subsequent treatments. 9 questions aimed to measure the attitude via five-point Likert scale indicating measurements ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree. The survey was completed when the number of participants reached 150 patients. Fisher-Freeman-Halton test, Fisher's Exact test and Pearson Chi Square test were used to compare categorical data, and multiple comparisons were examined with the Bonferroni Corrected Z test. p<0.05 was considered sufficient for statistical significance.

Results: 27.3% of the participants had previously received dental treatment with rubber dam. It was determined that there were significantly more patients with primary education levels among those who did not know the benefits of rubber dam use before coming to treatment (p=0.013). There was a statistically significant connection between the question "I was informed by my dentist about the reasons for using rubber dam before the treatment" and the question "I think the use of rubber dam is necessary for the dentist/patient" (p<0.001). In this study, only 4 people were observed who did not prefer rubber dam for the next treatment.

Conclusion: Before endodontic procedures, the advantages and necessity of rubber dam use should be explained to patients in detail and the questions in the patients' minds should be eliminated. The clinician should improve himself in the use of rubber dam and provide the patient with a more comfortable treatment.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

References

Hargreaves KM, Berman LH (2020) Cohen’s pathways of the pulp, 12th ed. Elsevier Health Sciences.

Özdemir O, Hazar E, Koçak S, Sağlam BC, Koçak MM (2020) Knowledge and anxiety level of dentists about COVID-19 pandemic. J Oral Health Comm Dent. 14(3):104-109. https://doi.org/10.5005/jp-journals-10062-0084

European Society of Endodontology (2006) Quality guidelines for endodontic treatment: consensus report of the European Society of Endodontology. Int Endod J. 39(12):921-930. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2591.2006.01180.x

Kaşıkçı S, Özbek SK (2023) Alterations in isolation, infection control, and personal protective equipment during the transition from pandemic to endemic in endodontic practice: A cross-sectional study. Turk Endod J. 8(3):102-109. https://doi.org/10.14744/tej.2023.86658

American Dental Association (2016) Guide to Clinical Endodontics. 6th ed. Chicago. American Association of Endodontists.

Madarati AA (2016) Why dentists don’t use rubber dam during endodontics and how to promote its usage? BMC Oral Health. 16(1):1-10. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12903-016-0175-2

Madarati A, Abid S, Tamimi F, Ezzi A, Sammani A, Abou Al Shaar MB, Zafar M (2018) Dental-Dam for Infection Control and Patient Safety during Clinical Endodontic Treatment: Preferences of Dental Patients. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 15(9):2012. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15092012

Harrel SK, Molinari J (2004) Aerosols and splatter in dentistry: a brief review of the literature and infection control implications. J Am Dent Assoc. 135(4):429-437. https://doi.org/10.14219/jada.archive.2004.0207

Hatipoğlu FP, Hatipoğlu Ö, Arıcıoğlu B (2020) Examination of Turkish Dentists' Approaches to Endodontic Treatment Procedures [Türk Dişhekimlerinin Endodontik Tedavi Prosedürlerindeki Yaklaşımlarının İncelenmesi] Süleyman Demirel Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Dergisi 11(1):54-6 ([In Turkish]) https:// doi: 10.22312/sdusbed.629682

Topkara C, Özyürek T, Demiryürek EÖ, Bursalı T, Özler M (2017) Attitudes, materials, and methods preferred in root canal treatment in Turkey: a survey. Turk Endod J. 2(2):31-37. https://doi.org/10.14744/tej.2017.30502

Ahmad IA (2009) Rubber dam usage for endodontic treatment: a review. Int Endod J. 42(11):963-972. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2591.2009.01623.x

Gbadebo SO, Ajayi DM (2021) Endodontic practice amongst Nigerian dentists undergoing postgraduate training. Pan Afr Med J. 39:218. https://doi.org/10.11604/pamj.2021.39.218.23205

Vedavathi B, Murthy BS, Nadig RR, George JV (2011) Patients’ Attitude to Rubber Dam: A Short-term Study. World Journal of Dentistry. 2(2):167-168. https://doi.org/10.5005/wjoud-2-2-167

Ulusoy ÖİA, Arslan S, Tınaz C (2011) Prevalence of Rubber-Dam Use Among Specialists in Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics: A Questionnaire Survey [Restoratif diş tedavisi ve endodonti bölümlerinde görev yapan öğretim elemanlarının lastik örtü kullanım sıklığı: Bir anket çalışması] GÜ Diş Hek Fak Derg. 28(2):93-8. ([In Turkish])

Bilgili D, Kilbas EPK (2021) Evaluation of the Relationship between Dentist Knowledge of the COVID-19 and the Using of the Rubber Dam in Endodontic Treatment. J Res Med Dent Sci. 9(12):1-8.

Görduysus M (2006) An Evaluation Study on the Acceptability of Rubber Dam by Patients [Rubber Dam in Hastalar Tarafından Kabul Edilebilirliği Üzerine Bir Değerlendirme Çalışması] Hacettepe Dişhekimliği Fakültesi Dergisi. 30(2):8-12. ([In Turkish])

lqahtani SM, Chaturvedi S, Alshahrani AA, Alqahtani AM, Almzher AA, Alqhtani RA, Alqhtani BA, Alfaifi HQ, Alshehri NM, Al Moaleem MM (2023) Online Questionnaire-Based Study to Evaluate the Attitudes and Use of Rubber Dental Dams by Saudi Dental Practitioners. Med Sci Monit. 29:e938672. https://doi.org/10.12659/MSM.938672

Zou H, Li Y, Lian X, Yan Y, Dai X, Wang G (2016) Frequency and Influencing Factors of Rubber Dam Usage in Tianjin: A Questionnaire Survey. Int J Dent. 2016:7383212. https://doi.org/10.1155/2016/7383212

Carrotte P (2004) Endodontics: Part 6 Rubber dam and access cavities. Br Dent J. 197(9):527–34. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.4811799

Alamassi BY, Shafi M, Alenezi A, Alghamdi A, Alerredi M, Alwazzan O. The experience and attitude of Saudi patients towards rubber dam isolation during dental treatments. IOSR J Dent Med Sci. 2017;16(4):70-4. https://doi.org/10.9790/0853-1604017074

Kapitan M, Hodacova L, Jagelska J, Kaplan J, Ivancakova R, Sustova Z (2015) The attitude of Czech dental patients to the use of rubber dam. Health Expect. 18(5):1282-1290. https://doi.org/10.1111/hex.12102

Tagliaferri AR, Melki G, Feghali C, Cavanagh Y (2022) Accidental ingestion of an endodontic file: A case report and literary review. Radiol Case Rep. 17(12):4928-31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radcr.2022.09.071

Puryer J, McNamara C, Sandy J, Ireland T (2016) An Ingested Orthodontic Wire Fragment: A Case Report. Dent J (Basel). 4(3):24. https://doi.org/10.3390/dj4030024

Stewardson DA, McHugh ES (2002) Patients’ attitudes to rubber dam. Int Endod J. 35(10):812-9. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2591.2002.00571.x

Orafi I, Hammad M (2018) Attitudes of Libyan Patients towards the Use of Rubber Dam in Endodontic Treatment in Benghazi. Open Journal of Dentistry and Oral Medicine. 6(2):7-16. https://doi.org/10.13189/ojdom.2018.060201

Ahmed S, Bashir AF, Khan SR (2020) Attitude of Patients Towards Rubber Dam Application. Independent Journal of Allied Health Sciences. 3(01):01-6. https://doi.org/10.53350/pjmhs2115123178