Dental Dams and Oral Sex

Dental dams are small, thin, and most commonly square pieces of latex that are used for most commonly for oral-vaginal or oral-anal sex but can also be used for oral-penis sex. Their name comes from their use in dental procedures. Dental dams help to reduce the transmission of STDs by acting as a barrier to vaginal and anal secretions that contain bacteria and viruses. They are available in a variety of colours and flavours, although they don't all taste too good! Dental dams help to reduce STI transmission because they act as a barrier to bodily secretions. Many STIs, (including herpes, genital warts and HIV) can be transmitted through oral sex.

How to use a Dental Dam

Dental dams may seem strange to use at first as they are a slightly unusual addition to the bedroom but they are very good at cutting down the spread of infections. When performing oral sex hold the dam against the vulva or anus of your partner. If you want to, you can add a lubricant between the dental dam and the area you wish to stimulate. Make sure you use a water-based lube and not an oil-based lube, as these can degrade the quality of the latex.

Caution

When you use the dental dam, make sure you only use one side, otherwise you will become at risk to infections. Do not re-use a dam on another body part either, because you can transfer germs from one body area to another. Only ever use a dam once.