Perforation and Proteinaceous Contamination of Dental Gloves During Prosthodontic Treatments

The effect of the type of prosthodontic treatment on glove perforation and proteinaceous contamination of gloves was investigated for 364 prosthodontic treatments using poly(vinyl chloride) plastic (218 occasions) and latex gloves (146 occasions). The amount of protein contamination on plastic or latex gloves varied depending on the prosthodontic treatment performed and the patient treated. As determined directly, it averaged from approximately 800 to 1,500 micrograms per treatment, and the maximum value of protein contamination was more than 4,000 micrograms, corresponding to the amount of protein in 1.5 mL of saliva or 0.1 mL of serum. The perforation of plastic gloves was observed in 83.0% of the total occasions, and the perforation went unrecognized 96.1% of the time. In contrast, the proportion of glove perforation for latex gloves was 12.3% and the proportion of unrecognized perforation of latex gloves was 5.4%. The results suggest that latex gloves are effective in reducing the risk of cross-infection. Nevertheless, prosthodontists still have a potential risk of being exposed to bodily fluids, without being aware of glove perforation, at least once in every 20 treatments, even if latex gloves are worn.