There's an often retold joke amongst lesbian circles: "Cunnilingus with a dental dam is like licking ice cream through a plate glass window." These days, though, as safe sex has become the best sex that joke has shifted to become, "Cunnilingus with a dental dam is like licking ice cream through a plate glass window: you get the idea with no extra calories."

Either way, dental dams are an important sex accessory for couples that are engaging in semi-risky behaviors or who are not fluid bonded. Dental dams are small squares or rectangles of latex or rubber that are placed over the vagina or anus to protect both the giver and receiver of oral sex from STDs and STIs.

Trust Dental Dam is a latex dam that comes in a bunch of flavors; I got grape (a lovely shade of purple that makes using a dental dam a bit less sterile). It comes in a plastic zip-lock type baggie with a small booklet inside. The outside reads, "TRUST (R) DAM" with a listing of the flavor. Below that lists a caution that the product contains rubber latex which can cause an allergic reaction: so if latex isn't your friend, stick to plastic wrap or find a dental dam made of silicone or another material.


When you open the booklet is includes some basic precautions and directions (such as being sure to always use a new dam each time you switch from oral-anal to oral-vaginal sex to reduce the risk of infection), as well as some information about the benefits of using dental dams. The back of the packaging has the manufacture date, the expiration date (they have a five year lifespan when they're stored in a cool dry place) and the batch number.

The dental dam is nestled inside the booklet, and it's a rectangular sheet (about 8" by 5") of what feels like thin, balloon type latex. Although mine is listed as being grape, and it does have a vaguely grape odor, similar to grape cough syrup, it doesn't taste like anything but latex. The scent will linger on your hands or naughty bits after you remove the dam, so if you don't care for it, you're stuck with it for a little while. However, a good, flavored water-based lube goes a long way, and sensations are transferred easily through the latex, so you don't lose out on a lot by using the dam--though there is a little loss.


The manufacturer recommends against stretching the dam, and it can be a bit tricky to hold the dental dam in place, especially if you've got a good thing going and your partner is moving around a lot.

When you're done using the dam, the manufacturer recommends putting it back into the packaging and disposing of it. Please bear in mind that these are single use only--just like with a condom, you can't rinse this off and use it again--the point of using a dental dam is to avoid diseases and infection, and you can't be 100% certain you've gotten all the funk off in the wash. Latex is safe for use with both water and silicone based lubricants, but oil should not be used as it can degrade the dental dam.

If you're not planning on using the dental dam right away, make sure you leave it in the packaging to keep it sanitary and as sterile as possible. If the material is sticky or brittle, toss it out and use another. The price is a bit high--but the cost of treatment for gonorrhea, herpes or HIV are much higher--do yourself a favor and make sure you cover it up.

I think the three, main reasons that people don't use dental dams are that they think it dulls sensation, they don't see the point, and they think it tastes bad. The TRUST dams dull sensation very little, and provide a huge leg up in preventing STDs/STIs... But they do taste pretty bland. If they tasted like ANYTHING, it would be a leg up to tasting like NOTHING.

I also want to point out that I tried to break it--I stuck one of my fingernails through it and pulled the edges as hard as I could--and nothing happened. These are pretty tough, and even if you're rough with them, you shouldn't worry too much about breaking it accidentally.