AUSTRALASIAN DENTIST47 EVENTS minimal restorative debris goes down the patient’s throat. 10.Rubber dam makes it safer for the patient by retracting the soft tissues from the working environment. Unfortunately, I feel that most dentists tend to think about rubber dam purely from the moisture control perspective and fail to consider all the other amazing bene ts of rubber dam. I actually place the moisture control bene t well down the list, because the improvement in my work environment and the stress reduction that this provides me, is by far the main reason that I am so passionate about rubber dam. I simply could not consider going o to work and battling with tongues and saliva every day of my working life, and still nd a way to be excited and passionate about my chosen profession. Another ow-on bene t of routine rubber dam use is that it will naturally bring about a shift in the way that you plan treatment and thereby revolutionise your surgery work ow. Because patients are more relaxed and the treatment approach is more e cient, the dentist can comfortably consider more extensive blocks of treatment and so think more in terms of quadrant dentistry. is will mean that you can shift to seeing 8-10 patients per day (instead of 20 plus), thereby reducing patient changeover downtime, and creating a more e cient and cost-e ective daily work ow. I believe that the key to success with rubber dam is to develop a team approach to the setup and application process. Over the years I have come across many dentists who have given up on adopting routine rubber dam use in their practices because of the pressure of needing to do it all themselves. In my practice my dental assistants do all the preparation setup – punching the dam and choosing the clamps – because I have a very simple and consistent approach to the setup. 99% of the time I use one of three clamps – so unless I advise them of an unusual scenario that requires a change in my routine, my nurse will have the rubber dam ready and waiting for me without any prompting from myself. e other factor that is key to this seamless application process, is having a simple basic rubber dam kit that will cover every possible scenario without the kit being unnecessarily extensive and complicated. After 40 years of investigation and ‘trial and error’ I am now happy to provide dentists with advice on a simple kit setup and a trouble-free approach that is very tried and tested. One of the most important factors in the rubber dam application process is having a team approach to the application procedure. From the patient perspective it is essential that the rubber dam application is a very simple stress-free experience – if the patient determines that getting rubber dam onto the teeth is a stressful complicated ordeal there will be a reluctance on their part to embrace the philosophy and rubber dam will create a negative mindset that is hard to overcome. Obviously much of this ‘relaxed team vibe’ comes from experience – a con dence that comes from thousands of application procedures and a knowledge that there is a solution to almost every di cult scenario. Having placed rubber dam over 50 thousand times I am now able to foresee a tricky scenario (e.g.: an unusually shaped tooth) and know in my mind how to resolve it at the outset – before the frustration arises. I believe that my approach to rubber dam application is very simple and straightforward and can easily be adopted by anyone without being overwhelmed by the methodology. Certainly, the feedback that I always get from colleagues who view my technique, is that they are surprised by how simply and e ciently I can apply rubber dam. I have viewed many other tutorials online and I have found that most make rubber dam application very complicated and would dissuade the beginner from ever trying. e ELearn that I have created covers every aspect of basic rubber dam application from setting up your kit and speci c advice around materials and equipment selection, right through to the application process and tips on introducing rubber dam into your practice. e ELearn includes numerous videos that clearly outline the team-based application process and should streamline and fast-track your rubber dam experience. My strong belief is that if I came into any dental practice for a week and completed the rubber dam application for the practitioners for the entire week (and helped with troubleshooting during that time) – then I would be fairly con dent that the practice would be hooked on rubber dam. It is very di cult to imagine just how much rubber dam use can change your career as a dentist until you have gained some experience and witnessed the di erences rsthand. I would strongly encourage anyone to just give rubber dam a try for a few weeks – get through that challenging initial period, gradually gain some con dence, discover the bene ts and witness the stress reduction for yourself. I guarantee rubber dam will help you to discover a completely di erent approach to dentistry and reignite a passion for your profession. u If you are interested in purchasing the Rubber Dam course please go to www.castlemainedental.com.au and click on the top menu and click training. www.amalgadent.com.au 1800 806 450 1800 806 450 www.amalgadent.com.au SEE BACK COVER ZIRCONIA CLEANER ZIRCONIA BOND BETTER TOGETHER Footer Ads #101.indd 4 18/10/2023 5:27:41 PM
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