Abstract
Background and aims. Dental practitioners are prone to occupational risk of infection. This can be
prevented in part by wearing gloves. However, for this to be effective, gloves should be intact during the
entire course of dental procedure. Leaky surgical latex gloves have been seen in 0.9% of cases before use.
As much as 1.9% of latex gloves have been reported to be damaged during dental procedures. In this study,
we decided to assess glove damage during dental procedures among dental specialists in Tabriz.
Materials and methods. Thirty-six dental specialists were selected for this study. Each practitioner
received 40 pairs of intact powdered latex gloves. Upon the completion of dental procedures, the gloves
were retrieved and any tears were evaluated separately for right and left hands. Data was analyzed using chisquare
test.
Results. 159 punctures were detected in 144 gloves (5%) out of 2880 unpaired gloves used by practitioners.
They noticed the tear(s) in 60 cases (2%), however, 99 cases (3%) of tear(s) were not noted during the
procedure. The highest rate of glove damage was observed in the prosthodontists’ group (12.3%), which
was statistically significant comparing to other groups (p=0.048). The lowest rate of the damage was observed
in the oral surgeons’ group (2%) which showed no significant difference (p=0.134). The highest rate
of punctures in the gloves was observed in the first and second fingers of the non-dominant hand.
Conclusion. The damage to 5% of the gloves is highly significant, with a potential role in occupational
hazards. The higher rate of leaks in the prosthodontists’ group compared to other groups demands for
greater prudence in this field. The high rate of leaks in the first and second fingers of the non-dominant hand
requires more attention to this area during daily practice.