Rubber Dam Technology Offers Breakthrough in Orthodontics

Nov. 9, 2014

NEW HAVEN -- In effort to combat the increasing costs of orthodontic treatment, researchers at Yale Dental School have pioneered a breakthrough platform technology that seeks to make braces affordable and attainable for everyone.

"The solution has been in front of our eyes the entire time," said Dr. Susan Lehigh, professor and vice chair of clinical research. "It involves the application of rubber dams to the field of orthodontics. Who knew that we could achieve the same, esthetic results with rubber alone?"

Like many other scientific breakthroughs, this landmark discovery - such as the usage of Viagra to treat erectile dysfunction despite its intended use for angina - was born out of total accident.

While punching holes in a rubber dam for a common restorative procedure, a third-year dental student accidentally punched one hole for both maxillary central incisors and fitted both teeth into the hole. Upon removal of the rubber dam at the conclusion of the six-hour appointment, the dental student found that she had inadvertently closed the patient's diastema.

"At first I was completely mortified," confided the third-year dental student who chose to remain anonymous due to a pending lawsuit for the same procedure where she accidentally hit the pulp upon drilling a shallow Class I lesion. "The patient didn't sign the informed consent form for orthodontic treatment and I was so worried." The tooth ultimately needed to be extracted and was replaced with a one-unit removable partial denture.

Yet despite it's rocky beginnings, Rubber Dam Orthodontics (RDO), as Dr. Lehigh has coined the pioneering technology, has been effectively proven to eliminate crowding, correct molar relationships, and even intrude teeth.

"The possibilities are endless," glows Dr. Lehigh. "In fact, we're currently investigating the applications of RDO for rapid palatal expansion."

The one drawback associated with rubber dam orthodontics is that patients need to wear their rubber dam appliances continuously for a period of one month. Some patients have reported both negative and positive side-effects such as asphyxiation and weight-loss, respectively.

Despite its shortcomings, the American Association of Orthodontists believes that the substantially reduced cost of rubber dam orthodontics will change the field for the better.

The ADA is in complete agreement, citing that just about anyone now can provide orthodontic treatment thanks to rubber dam technology.