THE INFLUENCE OF DENTAL GLOVES ON THE SETTING OF IMPRESSION MATERIALS

The increased wearing of gloves during dental treatment has created ne w problems for general dental practitioners. One of these is the retar ded set or total inhibition of addition silicones caused by natural la tex gloves. This study was designed to test different gloves and impre ssion materials in common use. Eight latex gloves, selected with diffe rent properties representing all possible types, together with four no n-latex gloves, made of neoprene, styrene-butadiene, polyethylene and polyvinylchloride, were tested. As a control, mixing with bare hands a nd with maize starch was carried out. The viscosity changes of five ty pes of impression materials (polyvinylsiloxanes, condensation silicone s, alginates, polyether and polysulphides) were measured with a Zwick hardness tester to give the Shore A hardness. No impression materials other than polyvinylsiloxanes were affected by pure latex gloves and t hose only by two brands. All other impression materials can be mixed a nd handled with gloved hands without affecting their setting time. The retarded set of polyvinylsiloxanes caused by natural latex gloves is not so widespread as had previously been thought.