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THE RUBBER DAM. 85

111 flic lower jaw flie bow of tlie claiii]) will sometimes be
found liaid against tlio soft tissues near the foot of the clamp
on tile Imccal side. Generally this may be remedied in a degree
by eliaiiging the position of the claiiip slightly. Or, if the rubber
can be brought over the bow and to the lingual foot of the clamp
and held, it may generally be forced or teased between the clamp
and the tissues on the Itiiecal side. In any case in which it is far
enough over the bow of the clamp to have a tendency to slide
toward the foot, it may be released and a ligature passed over
the bow of tlie claini), with which the rubl^er may be pulled into
place.
Some operators prefer to adjust the rubber over the bow
of the rubber dam clamp after the clamp has been fixed in the
clamp forceps and before the clamp has been placed on the tooth.
Then the rubber dam is so folded together as to be as little as
possible in the way, and the clamp set upon the tootli. Then,
when the forceps are removed, the dam slides partly into posi-
tion. It may then be unfolded and adjusted to the face of the
patient, and can be worked under the jaws of the clamp with
the flat curved burnisher and be made to exclude moisture. It
is afterward adjusted to the teeth mesial to the one upon which
the dam clami) has been placed. This plan may be made very
successful, but is more difficult and takes more time than that by
throwing the rubl^er over the clamp after it is placed on the
tooth. Also, the rubber dam folded about the clamp and forceps
obscures the vision at the time when it is most important to see
to adjust the clamp accurately.

THE USE OF LIGATURES.
ILLUSTRATIONS: FIGURES 84-89.
Passing the contact with the ligature should be done with
much care, for, if it is allowed to snap onto the gums, it will often
cause considerable pain and do the patient a real injury by cut-
ting into the tissues. To avoid this, always catch the ligature
very close to the tooth on both the buccal and lingual sides. This
will prevent the forcible snap onto the sensitive tissues that is
sure to occur if this precaution is not observed.
In many cases a ligature must be tied over the rubber to
hold it in place, or to force the gums sufficiently away to expose
the gingival margin of the cavity. In doing this, the ligature
should be carefully forced close to the gingival line and tightly
drawn with a surgeon's knot. Figure 88, upper knot. Gener-