Puncture resistance and stiffness of nitrile and latex dental examination gloves

Abstract

ObjectiveThe aim of the current study was to assess the puncture resistance and stiffness of nitrile and latex dental examination gloves. Methods Puncture resistance was measured by employing an adapted version of ASTM F1342-91 using both a 316 stainless steel puncture probe (0.8 mm diameter) and a dental injection needle (0.45 mm diameter) interfaced to a tensile testing apparatus. Glove specimens (12 cm length, 1.5 cm breadth) were removed for modulus (M100) evaluation by assessing the force required to elongate the specimen to 100% of the original length. Glove samples were also aged to investigate whether puncture resistance and M100 values varied with aging at 70°C for 7 days in an air-circulating oven. Results The nitrile glove types were assessed to have significantly higher puncture resistance compared with the latex glove type when the steel puncture probe was the pentrometer when using the one way analysis of variance (ANOVA) at the 95% significance level. Interestingly the puncture resistance for the latex glove type was significantly higher (P < 0.001) when a dental injection needle was used as the pentrometer compared with the nitrile glove types. The M100 values were significantly higher for the nitrile glove types for which the stiffness increased when the gloves were aged (P < 0.001). Conclusions The higher stiffness values resulted in increased puncture resistance when the nitrile glove specimens were aged irrespective of the pentrometer type. However, the ability of latex to re-seal itself on puncture may be beneficial when considering the protection potential of each glove type against breaches in cross infection. For clinicians that have experienced an adverse reaction to natural latex gloves, the results of the current study indicate that nitrile gloves are available at reasonable cost and offer the clinician comparable resistance to puncture with latex gloves.

Effectiveness of Gloves and Infection Control in Dentistry: Student and Provider Perspectives

“…However, there is a wide variation in the properties of gloves made from different materials and by different manufacturers. Research studies found, for example, that the performance of vinyl gloves was significantly inferior to that of latex and nitrile gloves in terms of barrier protection, 9 – 11 durability, 12 and resistance to tear 13 , 14 . Nitrile gloves have been found to be comparable to latex gloves in barrier protection, 11 puncture resistance, 14 and durability 15 .…”

“…Research studies found, for example, that the performance of vinyl gloves was significantly inferior to that of latex and nitrile gloves in terms of barrier protection, 9 – 11 durability, 12 and resistance to tear 13 , 14 . Nitrile gloves have been found to be comparable to latex gloves in barrier protection, 11 puncture resistance, 14 and durability 15 . However, nitrile gloves have less elasticity, 11 , 15 resulting in reduced dexterity for fine motor skills as compared to latex gloves 15 .…”

Allergic reaction from dental bonding material through nitrile gloves: Clinical case study and glove permeability testing

“…Previous studies found nitrile gloves to be comparable to latex gloves in terms of barrier protection, durability, and resistance to puncture . However, nitrile gloves have less elasticity, resulting in reduced dexterity for fine motor skills, as compared to latex gloves .…”

Clinical protocols in dental practice: Post-COVID-19

“…Nitrile gloves due to their latex-free chemical make-up and variable levels of thickness offer adequate protection against many solvents and chemicals Moreover, they are reported to exhibit better puncture resistance in contrast to the latex gloves. [ 7 ]…”