Efficacy of rubber dam isolation as an infection control procedure in paediatric dentistry

Abstract

The efficacy of rubber dam, antiseptic mouth rinse and both procedures together in controlling atmospheric bacterial contamination during conservative procedures in the paedodontic clinic at Tanta University was assessed. Distribution of bacterial contamination varied depending on the position of the tooth in the mouth. The highest airborne bacterial contamination was found on the plates positioned on the patient's chest. There was 98.8% bacterial reduction at 1 metre when rubber dam was used. This reduction increased when antiseptic mouth rinse was used before rubber dam application. Bacterial contamination fell sharply with increased distance from the head-rest.