Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is developed for protecting dental healthcare practitioners against eyes, mouth and nose infections. PPE includes detailed clothing instructions that DHCP (Dental Healthcare Practitioners) need to follow while practising in the dental clinics and labs. PPE includes disposable medical supplies such as gloves and surgical gowns; and extends to face shields, jackets, protective eyewear, surgical masks and much more.
One of the PPEs that are extensively used is gloves, as even a simple examination requires reaching inside the mouth. Wearing gloves while delivering dental healthcare services is therefore necessary, and here, we are discussing the different types of surgical gloves your healthcare centre should invest in.
Surgical Gloves- Types, Composition & Attributes
Natural Rubber Latex gloves are manufactured after complex processing of tree product that is collected from tropical areas across the globe. These gloves come with more elasticity and strength.
They include a wide number of chemical solutions, due to which higher usage of the gloves may lead to DHCP exposure.
Synthetic or non-latex gloves
Synthetic gloves also referred to as human made gloves, are the most recommended option as they comprise polymeric composition and hence can be moulded, dipped and brought into the desired shape. The basic types of synthetic or elastomeric gloves include:
- Neoprene or Polychloroprene)
- Nitrile
- Thermoplastic elastomers (polyethene and polyurethane)
- Polyvinyl chloride-PCP or vinyl, polyvinyl chloride copolymer, and the block copolymer (also called solvent-dipped processed types)
Criteria to Select Gloves for Dental Healthcare Services
Selection varies across patient examination gloves, non-medical gloves, and surgeon gloves. Practitioners usually select gloves for dental practices based on certain criteria which include:
- Type of procedure being planned
- Level of expected wear and tear
- Anticipated length of the dental procedure
- Sensitivity parameters of both patient and practitioner
- Individual preferences of the dental practitioner
- The existence of residual compound levels
- Physical nature of the material, i.e., latex vs synthetic and powdered vs non-powdered
- Size and composition of the gloves
- Chemical resistance
- The lower level of latex proteins
- Trust and quality delivered by the manufacturer
Selection of gloves may also be influenced by certain factors that include interaction among gloves and hygiene products used for hands. Highly disposable gloves come with special fabric or coating that eliminates the risk of chemical passage. They may not be recommended as the coating gives the additional slip to the chemicals and fluids, due to which the fluid may slide down to the cuffs of the surgical apparel, gown or jackets. If in doubt about the quality of the gloves, check out the Health Science Authority website to know if the seller is authorized to sell medical products. Buy from a certified retailer to ensure you are providing the highest level of care to your patients.
Dental healthcare practitioners must wear gloves regularly even while involved in examination or surgical procedures. They prevent hazardous surgical wound infections and reduces the risks of post-surgery complications. However, the dental practitioners must be extra vigilant while investing in the gloves and must buy a product that is safe, quality oriented and fits the hands in the best manner.