A Dental What?!
Yeah, I know! It was the first thing I thought when I first heard of a dental dam. It’s not as well known as the male and female condom and is not as famous amongst teens either. We all know what condoms are, what they’re for and how they work. Dental dams are not as popular but are super important too!
What the heck is it you may ask?
It’s a small, thin rubber sheet that is usually made out of latex like condoms or silicone. Dental dams are used to protect the throat during certain kinds of dental work. They can also be placed on the vulva or the anus when the mouth, lips, or tongue are used to sexually arouse a partner. They help to prevent the spread of STDs during analingus (mouth to anal sex) or cunnilingus (mouth to vagina sex).
Sooo Why are they so important?
It’s not exactly contraception but it is a barrier method. It keeps bodily fluids that could be carrying a disease from spreading from your partner to you or vice versa. Yes, you could get an STD from oral sex! Dental dams can help protect you from getting STDs like genital herpes and warts because they can be transmitted through skin-to-skin contact.
Okkkk….. How do you use it?
It’s really as easy as 1…2…3!
- Remove the dam from its plastic packaging and lay it flat, covering the entire vaginal or anal area.
- Hold the edges of the dam but be careful not to stretch it.
- Dispose of dams thoughtfully - do not flush them.
Hmm...Where can I get some? The world wide web is a magical place so you can definitely order them online, buy it at a drug store, or even make one! You can simply cut open a condom to be rectangular. You can even buy latex-free dams if you are allergic to latex and there are a variety of colors and flavors that you can choose from to make it a fun experience too!
Is that all I need to know? NO! It is very important that you:
- Make sure when you use a dental dam that there are no holes in it. Kinda defeats the purpose right?
- Use a new one every time and never share them! (GROSS I know!)
- Use only one side of the dam.
- Always use a new dam if switching between anal-oral and vaginal-oral sex
- Store dams in a dry cool place away from direct sunlight. Heat can cause the latex in dams to deteriorate, making them more likely to break.
- THEY DO NOT PREVENT PREGNANCY
Dental Dams may not seem that trendy but they are all the rage in practicing safe sex. Oral sex can be very fun and very risky. Make sure you talk to your partner about the different protective tools you want to use against pregnancy and STDs before you start having sex and make sure you have your handy dandy dental dam to protect you and your partner when sexy time begins!