As a general practitioner focused solely on children's dentistry, I can understand how placing a rubber dam can be challenging for dental professionals. It can be a big stumbling block to get the clamp onto the child’s tooth and then place a dam over it. In my office, using the DryShield isolation device simplifies this process and allows us to keep the work environment dry, clean, and visible. Not only that, it also offers protection for the child’s soft tissue by keeping their cheek and tongue guarded, while also providing airway protection.
Placing the DryShield is super easy. I like that the attachment is a single piece and there are zero chances of it breaking. It slides right onto our high-volume suction, and placing it in the patient's mouth is just as simple. The way we frame it for our kids is that we’re going to put a snorkel in their mouth. It can look a little bit large as we’re placing it, but once it unfolds, it’s very soft and not uncomfortable at all.
Faster, Better Dentistry
Using an isolation system like DryShield makes complete sense because it enables our materials to work the way they are intended to in a dry field. That said, we use it almost exclusively for sealant placement because we can do 2 quadrants at the same time. It makes it so much faster vs trying to keep things isolated with cotton rolls, which is difficult and cumbersome. When it comes to restorative work, you do need to navigate around the system because it adds some bulk, but if you compare navigating around DryShield with controlling a patient’s tongue, then it’s a no-brainer.
DryShield mouthpieces are autoclavable, which is a huge time and money saver. Sometimes, we’ll get a procedure going, have the isolation system placed, everything is looking great, and then suddenly we’re unable to proceed because we’ve lost the child’s cooperation. So, it’s great to have a mouthpiece that we can toss into the autoclave for another day vs one that needs to be thrown out.
Efficiency Plus Results
Another great benefit is that it frees up my assistant’s hands. When DryShield is in place, they don’t need to hold the suction, retract the patient’s tongue, or run interference for their cheek. This allows them to actually assist me and participate in the procedure, rather than simply trying to maintain a dry field or protect the child’s airway. In cases where we have a potentially uncooperative child, it frees my assistant’s hands to hold the patient’s hands.
When you use a system like DryShield, you get efficiency plus results. Many times, we find ourselves trying to be as efficient and as quick as possible, especially with kids. But it’s important to stay smart and avoid skipping steps. We must be efficient in a way that’s going to yield great results—and this system allows for that to happen.
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