Manufacturing improvements are making nitrile gloves a viable exam glove alternative for workers in the dental field.

According to a study by researcher Hetal Patel and his colleagues, unused nitrile gloves showed less pre-existing pinhole defects than latex gloves. As part of the testing, several brands of both types of gloves were filled with air, submerged in water and observed for the presence of air bubbles indicating small holes. The number and positioning of pinholes were recorded for 100 gloves of each brand being examined.

Based on a 2003 British Dental Journal summary of the study, three of the five brands of nitrile gloves evaluated had no pre-existing pinhole defects. One glove type had a 2-percent incidence of pre-existing pinhole defects in the thumb and ring finger areas. Another nitrile glove type had one pre-existing pinhole located on the middle finger. However, the presence of pre-existing pinholes in latex gloves was zero for the non-sterile, surgical glove type and 3 percent for the latex powdered examination glove type. Pinholes appeared on the thumb, middle finger and ring finger.

“They ascertained that the nitrile gloves examined exhibited less pre-existing pinhole defects than the latex brands tested, though this was not statistically significant,” stated the British Dental Journal article. “They conclude that nitrile gloves are a suitable replacement to latex, dependant upon clinical comfort.”

The implications of Patel’s findings are particularly important to the dental industry. Dental professionals wear gloves more than any other healthcare providers—amounting to a decade of glove wearing over the average working lifetime. And between 5 percent and 15 percent of healthcare workers who use latex exam gloves—the most common choice in dental practice—develop allergies, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.

Nitrile gloves cause fewer irritations and allergic reactions in wearers because they are made of a synthetic rubber. They also provide superior softness, sensitivity and flexibility, making them extremely comfortable to wear. In addition, nitrile gloves are very durable, so they are more resistant to puncturing, tearing and abrasion than other glove types.

“Nitrile gloves may provide satisfactory barrier protection and could be of value to dental healthcare workers (DHCWs) who have allergies to natural rubber latex,” stated the British Dental Journal’s summary of Patel’s study.