title: Use of a molar clamp to isolate two adjacent single-rooted teeth: a clinical aid.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To emphasize the importance of rubber dam isolation in root canal treatment and to present a technique to simultaneously isolate two single-rooted teeth using a molar clamp.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Isolation of two adjacent teeth with inadequate tooth structure is a challenge. The split-dam technique or using two clamps have drawbacks. This report presents a technique to simultaneously isolate two adjacent single-rooted teeth that are difficult to isolate by conventional methods. Its advantages are efficiency, reduction of radiation exposure, better access, good visibility and isolation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The basis of this technique is to isolate two teeth as two roots of a molar tooth. The indications for this technique are two adjacent prepared crowns and crownless roots. The appropriate molar clamp can be selected on the basis of the mesial-distal clamp jaw distance being equal to the mesial-distal spacing of the two roots. The buccal-lingual jaw distance of the clamp should be smaller than the dimension of the roots to provide adequate retention.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endodontics, Chi-Mei Medical Center, Yung-Kang City, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Y H
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Y-H M
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D012390:Root Canal Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation*; D016733:Rubber Dams