The attitude of undergraduate dental students toward the use of rubber dam in College of dentistry, Qassim University

Background/Aim: Rubber dam is the most widely used technique for isolation in nearly all dental procedures. Nevertheless, some students may not be convinced of its efficiency. The aim of this study was to determine the attitude of dental students towards the use of rubber dam in college of dentistry, Qassim University. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire was mailed to all fourth and fifth year students in January, 2015. Results: The major obstacles reported were difficulty in placement (89.2%) and the extra time needed for placement (77.9%); 46.1% of the students reported that they needed ? 5 minutes to place the rubber dam. Patients’ objection was also reported as an obstacle toward rubber dam use (87.7%). Female students had significantly more of these responses when compared to male students. On the other hand, significantly more fifth year students preferred to treat adults when compared to children (P<0.05). Composite restorations were the top procedures reported to require rubber dam during placement in the general dental field. Conclusions: some negative attitude was reported by students regarding rubber dam use among adults and children. Students were only convinced that rubber dam use is necessary while performing composite restorations. Patients’ objection and the extra time needed for placement were major obstacles against rubber dam use. More training on rubber dam use is necessary in college of dentistry, Qassim University as this will dictate the future use of rubber dam in the dental field.