Abstract

Aim: Patients ‘safety and convenience of working in dry operating field is the pre-requisite of any dental procedures. Rubber dam isolation has always proven clinically to be the best till date. The reasons for not usage of rubber dam are placement difficulty, time consumption, patient’s rejection, lack or insufficient training. Hence this study records patients’ opinion and preference regarding their experience of rubber dam use during their next visit. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire study containing 10 questions which was then circulated among 121 patients who consented to participate in this study. The patients answered the questionnaire during their second appointment. Results: Almost 84% patients preferred its use and considered it was being placed for their benefit. More male patients preferred its use (84.3%) compared to female patients (81.1%). A significant difference (p=0.000) is seen patients’ preference in 21-30 years category and mean time taken among the procedures showed significant difference (p=0.027) with maximum time taken for Root canal procedure of 7.72 minutes. Conclusion: Patients are generally not aversive towards rubber dam. Hence frequent use for all the procedures increases the acceptance of rubber dam. Clinical Significance: According to recent research, dentists are most exposed to coronavirus disease (COVID-19) among healthcare professionals. The use of rubber-dams in dentistry is an effective method to prevent cross-infection, as it allows the aerosol to disperse into the air without being infected.