General field isolation rubber dams without operative inserts which isolate the dental alveolar arch for dental treatment

A rubber dam for use in isolating the field of a dental procedure, comprising:

• (a) a sheet of elastomeric material;
• (b) an opening in the elastomeric material through which the dental structures of the alveolar arch are brought through the opening so that dental procedures may be performed;
• and
• (c) structure around the opening in the elastomeric material for the attachment of a manually applied barrier material.

A rubber dam for use in isolating the field of a dental procedure, comprising:

• (a) a sheet of elastomeric material;
• (b) an opening in the elastomeric material through which the dental structures of the alveolar arch are brought through the opening so that dental treatment may be performed;
• and
• (c) structure around the opening in the elastomeric material for the attachment of the rubber dam directly to the patient's dental tissues.

A rubber dam for use in isolating the field of a dental procedure, comprising:

• (a) a sheet of elastomeric material;
• (b) a slit-like opening in the elastomeric material through which the dental structures of the alveolar arch such as the teeth and soft tissues are brought through the opening for dental treatment;
• and
• (c) a flange around the slit-like opening to which a barrier material with an integrally applied adhesive adheres to the dam.

A method in which a series of teeth and their associated soft tissues are isolated in order to perform dental treatment, comprising the steps of:

• (a) inserting a field isolation rubber dam with a fabric mesh material around a central opening into the mouth over a segment of the dental alveolar arch and bringing a group of teeth and associated gingival tissues through a slit-like central opening in the dam;
• (b) applying a specialized cervical retraction rubber dam clamp over the dam to retain the dam in the mouth and to retract the rubber dam around the operative site in a manner which exposes both the teeth and soft tissues;
• (c) applying a barrier material over the mesh material around the periphery of the operative site in order to create a moisture barrier around the operative site;
• and
• (d) allowing the applied barrier material to polymerize in contact with the mesh material, thereby creating a bond between the barrier material and the rubber dam around the operative site.

A method in which a series of teeth and their associated soft tissues are isolated in order to perform dental treatment, comprising the steps of:

• (a) selecting a field isolation rubber dam with an integrally applied adhesive on the operative side of the dam around a prepared central opening;
• (b) removing a release liner covering the adhesive;
• (c) inserting the field isolation rubber dam into the mouth over a segment of the dental alveolar arch and bringing a series of teeth and associated soft tissues through the slit-like central opening of the dam;
• (d) applying a specialized cervical retraction rubber dam clamp over the dam to retain the dam in the mouth and to retract the rubber dam around the operative site in a manner which exposes both the teeth and soft tissues;
• (e) applying a barrier material over the adhesive around the perimeter of the operative site to create a moisture seal around the operative site;
• and
• (f) allowing the applied barrier material to polymerize in contact with the adhesive which bonds the barrier material to the dam.

A method in which a series of teeth and their associated soft tissues are isolated in order to perform dental treatment, comprising the steps of:

• (a) selecting a field isolation rubber dam with an integrally applied tissue adhesive on the tissue surface of the rubber dam around a prepared central opening and removing a release liner over the tissue adhesive;
• (b) inserting the field isolation rubber dam into the mouth over a segment of the dental alveolar arch and bringing a series of teeth and their associated soft tissues through the central opening prepared in the dam;
• (c) applying a specialized cervical retraction rubber dam clamp over the dam in order to retain the dam and retract the dam around the operative site in a manner in which both the teeth and soft tissues are exposed for dental treatment;
• (d) applying a slight pressure around the periphery of the operative site where the pressure-sensitive adhesive is in contact with the dental alveolar tissues in order to adhere the dam directly to the hard and soft tissues and improve the moisture barrier of the operative site.