Permeability studies on protective gloves used in dental practice

The recent guidelines issued by the DHSS and the BDS recommend that to prevent cross-infection gloves should be worn by dentists and their assistants whilst treating all patients. Little information is available on the permeability of the various types of glove available; this pilot study was therefore conducted, to test five commonly used brands of gloves for permeability to air, electrolytes, dye and bacteria. Tests were carried out before and after using the gloves for varying periods. From these studies it was found that only one brand of glove passed all the tests before wearing. After wearing the gloves for up to 3 hours, between 20% and 50% of the gloves, depending on type, allowed bacteria to pass across the glove. The visual test was less critical than the ion passage and bacterial tests, in that some gloves without obvious perforations allowed ions and bacteria to pass through.