Nitrile Dental Gloves and The Benefits of Using Them

Are you looking for the best disposable gloves for your work? Latex has been the top choice of medical professionals for many decades when it comes to disposable protective gloves. However, that will soon change. Recently, there has been a shift towards materials that are up to 95 percent safer and stronger. 

In the past, tattoo artists, medical professionals, and mechanics might have expressed a clear preference for latex gloves, but the danger of latex allergies and the low chemical protection, it offers left much to be desired. The drawbacks of latex have pushed rubber technology to create synthetic compounds superior to latex. Nitrile is one of the most promising of these contestants. 

What Is It That Makes Nitrile Great? 

Nitrile, which is also known as Acrylonitrile-Butadiene rubber, is a synthetic rubber that has been used to make disposable gloves since the mid-1990s. The gloves were initially marketed to medical professionals, with a special focus as dental gloves due to their superior puncture resistance. 

Nitrile is 3 times more puncture resistant than latex and this helps prevent accidents and contamination. Since then, tattoo artists, mechanics, and many industrial workers have also started to use nitrile gloves due to this material’s superior chemical resistance. Nitrile will protect hands from oils, solvents, greases, as well as some bases and acids. 

Simply put, professionals throughout the globe started using nitrile gloves due to their: 

- Comfortable Fit

- Great Chemical Resistance

- High Heat Resistance

- Low Allergic Reaction Rates (Below 1 percent)

- High Puncture Resistance 

The strength of nitrile gloves is what makes them best suited to be used multiple times, in spite of the fact that they are cheap and disposable. Nitrile prices were previously high, but the increased demand has led to a significant drop in price to the extent that they are currently very affordable. 

A Safer Option for People Allergic to Latex 

One of the most serious drawbacks of latex gloves is latex allergies. Symptoms may vary from a mild rash to anaphylactic shock, which may be fatal sometimes. Even if you personally are not allergic to latex, you can trigger an allergic reaction in anyone that you touch with them, including clients and patients. It is hardly surprising that latex allergies were the main reason why professionals started using nitrile and vinyl gloves. 

Nitrile is a synthetic rubber that doesn’t contain any latex, which makes it the perfect alternative if you are either allergic to latex or are concerned about your clients having a latex allergy. Nitrile gloves have a comfortable and snug fit that’s comparable to latex, which makes it pleasant and easy to work with them for extended periods. 

Nitrile has a low friction coefficient, which is why nitrile gloves are easy to put on and take off. The slip-resistant finish of high-quality nitrile gloves ensures a firm grip even when your gloves are wet. It is this property that makes them one of the safest options for dentists. 

Superior Puncture and Chemical Resistance 

Do you often worry about chemical contamination and pathogens in your line of work? If so, nitrile gloves are the perfect choice for you. The superior puncture resistance is what makes the gloves a favorite of medical professionals and tattoo artists throughout the globe, because of the high dangers of contamination and punctures in those fields. 

Nitrile can be up to 3 times stronger than latex, protecting you from needles and various other sharp objects. One more benefit of nitrile is that the material tears once it has been punctured, making it clear that the glove needs to be immediately changed. 

Latex gloves can easily hide a puncture since the elastic material can conceal the breach and this can increase the risk of contamination if the gloves are not changed immediately. Mechanics and other professionals that use oils, heavy chemicals, and greases, prefer using nitrile gloves due to the durability and safety that they provide since the material has a significantly higher chemical resistance than vinyl or latex. 

Great Water and Temperature Resistance 

Like vinyl and latex, nitrile is a waterproof material, which means that you can work without the need to worry about the gloves weakening and getting soaked. You can even wear nitrile gloves under your work gloves to ensure that your hands are waterproof any time it is needed. 

Nitrile is capable of withstanding a temperature range of −40°F to 226 °F (−40°C to 108 °C), which makes it ideal for professionals where you regularly come into contact with cold or hot surfaces. It is why many nitrile gloves are the preferred option in many industries since they provide protection from sudden cold or heat without becoming brittle or even melting. 

Durable and Affordable 

Price is a major consideration because you will be going through numerous pairs of gloves each month. Nitrile used to cost more than latex when it was initially introduced, but prices have now dropped and it is now the top choice. Today, you can not only buy nitrile gloves at a lower price, but you can also expect them to last longer. 

Despite being disposable, the durability of nitrile gloves lets you use them multiple times if needed. Furthermore, nitrile’s long shelf life ensures that your gloves will still be safe to use even after buying them in bulk. Buying gloves in large quantities actually makes it even cheaper to buy, which means that you have a win-win situation here. 

Latex Vs. Nitrile: The Verdict 

Comfort is perhaps the greatest advantage of latex. While nitrile has come a long way since being first introduced, latex gloves are still generally more comfortable than the ones made of nitrile. Besides that, however, nitrile is:

 - More chemical resistant

 - Safer than latex since it doesn’t cause allergies

 - Up to 3 times more puncture resistant than latex 

In the end, it is hardly surprising that Nitrile gloves have quickly become the favorite disposable gloves for tattoo artists, medical professionals, industrial workers, mechanics, and many other professionals throughout the globe.