A Comparison of Three Rubber Dam Systems in Vivo: A Preliminary Study

The aim of this study was to compare the isolation systems OptraDam® Plus and OptiDam™ with the conventional rubber dam in terms of objective and subjective parameters. The isolation systems were applied during the dental treatment of the patients. The time of preparation, placement, presence and removal were measured and the quality of isolation was evaluated. The median time of rubber dam placement was 76 s (Q1 = 62 s; Q3 = 111.25 s). The application time of OptraDam® Plus was significantly longer compared to the other systems (P < 0.001). The median volume of fluid remaining in the isolated space after 5 minutes was 4.9 mL (Q1 = 4 mL; Q3 = 5 mL). The differences between the systems with regards to isolation quality were not statistically significant. The majority of the patients reported a higher level of comfort during the treatment with a rubber dam than without it. The attitude of patients was not affected by any of the observed factors. The ranking of the isolation systems according to the subjective evaluation by the patients was (from best to worst) OptiDam™, conventional rubber dam, OptraDam® plus. The results presented in this study could guide clinicians for choosing the most appropriate isolation system.