Rubber dam use

Abstract

In Table 1 of the January JADA article titled, “Techniques and Materials Used by General Dentists During Endodontic Treatment Procedures: Findings From the National Dental Practice-Based Research Network” (Eleazer PD, Gregg GH, Funkhouser E, et al. JADA. 2016;147[1]:19-27), the statistics on rubber dam use clearly show that 53% of general dentists do not always use rubber dams. Yet, this was not really discussed in the Discussion section. Techniques and materials used by general dentists during endodontic treatment procedures: Findings from The National Dental Practice-Based Research NetworkThe Journal of the American Dental AssociationVol. 147Issue 1PreviewLittle is known about which materials and techniques general dentists (GDs) use during endodontic procedures. The objectives were to quantify GDs’ use of specific endodontic tools, quantify inappropriate use, and ascertain whether inappropriate use is associated with GDs’ practice characteristics. Full-Text PDF Authors’ responseThe Journal of the American Dental AssociationVol. 147Issue 5PreviewWe appreciate the comments made by Drs. Oyster and Buttke. We refer them to 2 articles from The National Dental Practice-Based Research Network published in 2015.1,2 Full-Text PDF