Evaluation of the perforation index of gloves used in tooth extractions

Abstract

Objective: To determine the frequency of surgical glove perforations during tooth extraction procedures performed at the Dental Clinic of the Dentistry Program at Centro Universitário Tiradentes (UNIT/AL) over two academic semesters. Material and Methods: In the study, 136 pairs of surgical latex gloves were evaluated, of which 116 (85.29%) were used by undergraduate students in surgeries, and the remaining 20 pairs (14.70%) were part of the control group to assess the presence of manufacturing defects. GraphPad Prism version 5.0 software was used for statistical analysis. Comparisons between independent variables were performed using chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests. A 5% significance level was considered for all statistical tests. Results: A total of 232 gloves were collected, and among the results, it was observed that 17 had perforations. The damaged gloves were found in a higher percentage on the dominant hand (64.7%) compared to the non-dominant hand (35.3%). Surgeons were more affected than assistants. Furthermore, the gloves in the control group, branded Supermax ® (Klang, Selangor, Malaysia), showed 25% damage rates. Conclusion: Despite the creation of barriers to protect the dental surgeon from contamination, it remains a recurring issue in the professional routine. However, it is noted that surgical gloves are safe when used correctly.

KEYWORDS

Accidents; Containment of biohazards; Dentistry; Surgery, oral; Tooth extraction.