Dental dam support and method of use

A method for sealingly supporting a dental clamp having opposing jaw members for engaging oral structures, such as teeth and gingiva, said jaw members biasable toward each other, such that fluids are substantially sealed from flowing between said dental clamp and said oral structures, said method comprising the steps of:

• introducing a pliable mass of hardenable dental material onto portions of the teeth, portions of the gingiva, or portions of the teeth and gingiva on which a dental clamp is desired;
• molding said pliable mass of hardenable dental material to form a support of hardenable dental material;
• restrainingly seating said jaw members partly into said support of hardenable dental material, such that said jaw members do not completely penetrate said support of hardenable dental material, and such that said support of hardenable dental material substantially seals fluids from flowing between said jaw members and said oral structures;
• substantially hardening said support of hardenable dental material to form a support of substantially hardened dental material;
• and
• nonrestrainingly seating said jaw members partly into said support of substantially hardened dental material, such that jaw members are biased toward each other;
• and such that said support of substantially hardened dental material substantially seals fluids from flowing between said jaw members and said oral structures.

A method for supporting a dental clamp on gingiva only, such as for use with teeth of insufficient structure to support said dental clamp, said dental clamp having opposing jaw members biasable toward each other, said method comprising the steps of:

• introducing a pliable mass of hardenable dental material onto portions of the gingiva on which a dental clamp is desired;
• molding said pliable mass of hardenable dental material to form a support of hardenable dental material;
• restrainingly seating said jaw members partly into said support of hardenable dental material, such that said jaw members imprint said support of hardenable dental material, but do not completely penetrate said support of hardenable dental material, to form an imprinted support of hardenable dental material;
• substantially hardening said imprinted support of hardenable dental material to form an imprinted support of substantially hardened dental material;
• and
• nonrestrainingly seating said jaw members partly into said imprinted support of substantially hardened dental material, such that jaw members are biased toward each other.

A method for supporting a dental clamp having opposing jaw members for engaging oral structures, such as teeth and gingiva, said jaw members biasable toward each other, said method comprising the steps of:

• applying an oral adhesive onto portions of the teeth, portions of the gingiva, or portions of the teeth and gingiva on which a dental clamp is desired;
• introducing a pliable mass of hardenable dental material onto said oral adhesive;
• molding said pliable mass of hardenable dental material to form a support of hardenable dental material;
• restrainingly seating said jaw members partly into said support of hardenable dental material, such that said jaw members imprint said support of hardenable dental material, but do not completely penetrate said support of hardenable dental material, to form an imprinted support of hardenable dental material;
• substantially hardening said imprinted support of hardenable dental material to form an imprinted support of substantially hardened dental material;
• and
• nonrestrainingly seating said jaw members partly into said imprinted support of substantially hardened dental material, such that jaw members are biased toward each other.

A method for making a dental dam anchor, and anchoring a dental dam with said dental dam anchor, comprising the steps of:

• heating an original unidentified mass of thermosetting material to a predetermined temperature range at which the thermosetting material becomes pliable, said thermosetting material is polycaprolactone;
• molding said mass of material while pliable on the teeth for which a dental dam anchor is desired;
• allowing said thermosetting material to cool and set, thereby forming a dental dam anchor;
• removing said dental dam anchor from said teeth;
• placing said dental dam on said teeth;
• and
• replacing said dental dam anchor on said dental dam, said dental dam remaining on said teeth, such that said dental dam is interposed between, and anchored by, said dental dam anchor and said teeth.