Background/Aim. Good undergraduate education is necessary to overcome the reluctance of dentists to use the rubber dam. The aim was to assess dental students' knowledge, training skills, attitudes, and opinions concerning the use of the rubber dam in order to isolate an operation field. Methods. A 34-item original questionnaire was distributed to 130 final year students. The questions were divided into four segments: general information; rubber dam-related knowledge and training skills; opinions and attitudes regarding the use of rubber dam; opinions on the intended future use of rubber dam. Results. All students confirmed that they had theoretical lessons about rubber dam and that the advantages of the rubber dam were pointed out. During practical courses, 34% of students observed rubber dam placement and 10% of them placed the rubber dam on their own or with assistance. Most of the students (88%) did not feel capable of using the rubber dam on their own. Less than half of the students (38%) believed that adequate isolation of the operating field is possible without the rubber dam. Sixty-four percent of students considered that rubber dam was not uncomfortable for the patients. More than half of the students were willing to use the rubber dam in their future practice. Almost all of them planned to gain additional postgraduate training. Conclusion. Students have solid theoretical knowledge about the rubber dam, they are aware of its importance and have a positive attitude towards the rubber dam use. However, their practical training and skills are poor and insufficient for independent rubber dam use.

Introduction. Osteogenesis imperfecta is a rare heritable connective tissue disorder characterized by increased fragility of the bony tissue. The incidence of orofacial alterations associated with osteogenesis imperfecta is variable and includes dentinogenesis imperfecta, malocclusions, hypoplasia of the jaws, delayed dental development and structural abnormalities of the teeth. Case outline. A 22-year-old girl was referred to the Clinic for Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry for dental treatment. Enlarged head, triangular-shaped face, mandibular prognathism with excessive maxillary hypoplasia, lowered vertical occlusal dimension were present features. The intraoral findings included dentinogenesis imperfecta with Kennedy?s class IV in the upper jaw and class II in the lower jaw. Panoramic radiograph revealed abnormalities in crown and root shape, obliteration of the pulp chamber and severe deficiency of alveolar bone mass. Overall treatment involved five phases: I - Preventive and prophylactic treatment, II - Direct restauration of five teeth with glass ionomer cement, III - Extraction of severely damaged teeth, IV - Prosthodontic rehabilitation with removable partial dentures, V - Maintenance and follow-up phase. Conclusion. Low prevalence and wide variety of signs and symptoms make dental treatment of osteogenesis imperfecta overly complex and challenging. Nevertheless, it is essential to improve craniofacial and dental function along with facial aesthetic.