Rubber dam usage among practicing dentists.

This study reports on a survey administered to graduates of the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine concerning usage of and attitudes toward the rubber dam. Differences in both reported usage and attitudes were found between graduates who had received minimal rubber dam training and those who had received more intensive training. Those with graduate training reported more frequent use of the dam than those with no graduate training; however, overall reported usage of the rubber dam was quite low. Comments provided by some respondents suggest that in the educational process a greater emphasis should be put on the reasons for using the dam rather than placement technique.