What are mouth props and rubber dams used for?

Root canal treatment: Mouth props and rubber dams are used mainly for root canal procedures to isolate the tooth from the oral cavity to prevent potential reinfection of the tooth, also to perform several other dental procedures, mainly when patients have hard time to keep their mouth open, mouth prop may help.

Mouth props: Mouth props or bite blocks are to help the patient relax the jaw during dental procedures. They don't have to strain to keep their mouth open as the prop will keep the mouth open. This is also good for the dentist as it allows consist access to the oral cavity. A dental rubber dam is a barrier to keep things from being accidentally swallowed and to keep the dental area clear and moisture-free.

Various: Mouth props are used to keep the patients mouth wide open for extended treatments. A rubber dam is a sheet of rubber like material that is used to isolate one or more teeth during treatment.

For isolation : The mouth prop is used to keep your jaw in a steady position while we do our work. I use them every day on every patient that will allow me to. It ensures that the patient does not move their jaw and cause me to injure them with a handpiece that speeds at 400, 000 revolutions in a minute. The rubber dam is another method of isolation, it helps the doctor to keep a more sterile field.

Ease and Saftey: Props are used to help patient keep open, dams are used to keep the area clean and prevent anything from going down the throat.