Attitude and knowledge of isolation in operative field among undergraduate dental students

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the general attitude of undergraduate dental students toward rubber dam use, specifically focusing on operative procedures before starting to serve community. METHODS: Questionnaires were distributed to undergraduate clinical years' students of two private colleges; Al-Farabi Dental College, Riyadh, KSA and Buraidah Private Colleges, Qassim, KSA. Questions were asked about areas where the students used rubber dam in operative procedures, in which types of caries classes, and in which type of restoration they frequently used the rubber dam. RESULTS: We found that students of both private dental colleges agreed with the opinions that proper isolation cannot be achieved for the restoration of operative procedures without using rubber dam and restoration placed under rubber dam have a greater longevity than those placed without. CONCLUSIONS: Within the limitations of the present study, it can be concluded that the perceptions of dental students on rubber dam need to be improved and strategies should be developed so that this valuable adjunct will comprise one of the indispensable elements of dental care.