Advantages and limitations of the rubber dam. Part 1: introduction, methods and key findings

This three-part series provides a comprehensive commentary on the positive and negative aspects of the dental dam system. This first part gives an overview of dental dams and gives the methodology and key findings of a literature review on their use, advantages and drawbacks. A search of the literature, including peer-reviewed studies and grey literature, was carried out and the results analysed. Dental dam application was found to provide significant clinical benefits as well as having various limitations. Part 2 will examine the advantages of rubber dam use in more detail and part 3 will comprehensively consider the disadvantages and limitations and make practical recommendations to address these. The authors recommend reviewing all three parts together, using the references and Table 1 as a guide. CPD/Clinical Relevance: This critical analysis of rubber dam outlines its possible uses, highlights gaps in the scientific data and the need for more research, and offers suggestions for overcoming limitations.