A dental absorbent pad (10) has a moisture permeable outer layer (11) which is folded upon itself to form a top side (12), a bottom side (13), and a peripheral margin area (15). The folded outer layer forms a cavity between the top side and the bottom side which is filled with a mass of unsupported, free-flowing granular superabsorbent material (16). The mass of granular superabsorbent material may be grains of sodium salt of cross linked polyacrylic acid with a grain size or diameter of 1 to 850 microns.
