Prevalence of perforations in disposable latex gloves during routine dental treatment.

Durability of gloves with respect to reducing cross-contamination and decreasing the risk of occupationally acquired infections was studied. In this study, pinholes were found in 1.8% of unused surgical latex gloves and 2.0% of latex examination gloves. The incidence of pinhole defects in gloves emphasizes the importance of operative techniques that minimize stress to the glove and the need to change gloves, especially for procedures lasting more than 2 hours.