Top 5 Nitrile and Latex Gloves for Dentists

A Glove Selection Guide for Your Dental Practice

The US Food and Drug Administration Center for Devices and Radiological Health regulates gloves. To be rated as acceptable for medical use, gloves are required to conform to certain levels of quality. Even when these levels are reached, it’s important to remember that composite resins, alcohol, disinfectants, and other products can cause the gloves to become more permeable and less effective as barrier protection as a result.

According to research cited by The Journal of Dental Education, the material a glove is made from directly affects the behavior and properties of these medical devices. Vinyl provides inferior barrier protection, tear resistance, and durability when compared to latex and nitrile gloves. Nitrile gloves provide durability, puncture resistance, and barrier protection similar to that of latex while also being as durable. They lack the elasticity of latex gloves, which impairs the wearers’ fine motor skills to a greater degree and leads to greater fatigue over long periods.

Another important facet of selecting gloves for your practice is a consideration for the latex sensitivities of both your patients and the physician. The Hygenic Corporation, a respected manufacturer of synthetic and rubber latex, indicates that there are specific definitions for latex, natural rubber, and natural rubber latex.

• Natural Rubber Latex – This is what most people think of as ‘latex.’ It comes from the hevea bransiliensis tree and appears as a white sap. It is available in a liquid form for increased moldability.
• Natural Rubber – When natural rubber latex is dried, it is easier to store and transport. The compounding and processing cycles involved make it different from natural rubber latex. The solid physical properties are what define natural rubber, and its nature makes it possible to create more precise profiles.
• Latex – Any polymer found in its viscous state can be described as latex, even if it doesn’t contain any natural rubber latex at all.

An important thing to consider when selecting gloves for your practice is that “latex-free” is a misnomer. It isn’t necessary for gloves to contain rubber to be considered latex. As a result, special labeling is required by the FDA. Due to the critical role played by gloves in dental care, we researched several providers and respected voices in the dental community to find gloves favored by practitioners and committees alike.

Top 10 Dental Infection Control Products – Personal

1. Powder-Free Latex Gloves 100/bx. – Luna

Dentaltix Ratings: Four stars out of 73 Reviews

Gloves Luna offers quality management systems and catalogs for their products, as they provide a wide variety of latex, nylon, and polyethylene products. The Powder-Free Latex gloves are made of latex and reinforced with an internal polymer to help perform tasks that require great dexterity and diligence. These gloves come powder-free, giving dentists the best protection against contaminants. These gloves are a physical barrier against secretions, fluids, mucus, skin, and contaminated materials. These gloves also provide resistance against microorganisms and chemicals.

Dentaltix Price: $3.88

2. Aurelia Vibrant Latex Exam Gloves: Medium 300/Bx. 2.2mm Thickness, Indigo Blue

Net32 Ratings: Five stars out of 48 Reviews

Aurelia gloves provide protection, comfort, safety, and sensitivity to those who wear them; they are made with 100% natural rubber, and each batch of gloves made by the company is air tested for pinholes to assure complete security. These gloves are ambidextrous. Come in a cream-beige color, the gloves feature a beaded cuff and thickness of 4.5 mils for a smooth, secure glide onto the hand. The package comes with 300 gloves per box, and as an added feature, are made micro-textured so dentists can be assured of the quality they’re getting.

Net32 Price: $9.50

3. Blue Nitrile Gloves (100u.) – Starline

Dentaltix Ratings: Four stars out of 49 Reviews

Starline gives dentists products that feature excellent quality and price, allowing dentists to purchase quantities in bulk for basic protection from exposure. The Starline nitrile gloves are ideal for screenings and handling patients allergic to natural latex. These gloves have a non-slip, micro-textured surface that allows for a better grip on instruments and is resistant to drilling and tears. This model of nitrile gloves is ambidextrous, non-sterile, and is made single-use for complete ease of use. These gloves can be ordered in any size necessary, and each box comes with a collection of 100 gloves for stock.

Dentaltix Price: $6.60

4. QualiTouch® Nitrile Powder Free Exam Gloves

SmartPractice Ratings: N/A

Awards: 4 and ½ stars (91%) by DentalAdvisor

SmartPractice’s brand of QualiTouch gloves has received high acclaim from dentists and critics alike for its high quality and comfort level. Its unique features include a contoured fit to the thumb and fingers, creating a reduction in hand fatigue. The thermo-responsive nitrile easily adapts to the hand as and warms up from body temperature and, thus, provides a level of comfort that’s normally found in latex. Thus, the QualiTouch gloves are ideal for long procedures, and the textured fingertips help increase tactile sensitivity and provide an excellent grip.

SmartPractice Price: $7.99

5. House Brand Premium Nitrile Exam Gloves: Medium, 100/Bx. Blue, Non-Sterile

Net32 Ratings: 4.5 stars out of 143 Reviews

Net32’s House Brand has been known to help dentists save money while providing straight-to-the-point products. Compared to the company’s regular brand of nitrile gloves, the House Brand nitrile gloves have a soft stretch comfort that provides tactile sensitivity and micro-texture. As a generic, reliable product, the House Brand nitrile gloves fit snugly and are ideal for regular checkups and standard procedures.

Net32 Price: $8.25

Table 1: Comparison of Numbers

Table 2: Comparison of Features

Note: N/A refers to information that is not provided in the data.

Whether in need of nitrile or latex gloves, having both options in your practice will benefit you in the long run, especially for staff members’ sensitivities to NRL proteins. We’d recommend the Aurelia Vibrant Latex Exam Gloves for the latex variety. They’re specifically designed to provide comfort and strength for long procedures and come in larger packaging for extended stock. Qualitouch offers the most technologically advanced manufacturing system for nitrile gloves to provide longer wear without losing tactile sensitivity.