[Permeability of protective gloves to (di)methacrylates in resinous dental materials]

Dentists may develop contact allergy induced by handling resinous dental materials. Vinyl and latex gloves may provide protection against the monomers of these materials during the time it takes for a monomer to permeate the glove. The passage times and rates of penetration of four commonly used (di)methacrylates, HEMA, TEGDMA, BISGMA and UEDMA for 11 protective gloves were measured. The passage time in vinyl gloves for HEMA and TEGDMA was about 2 min, and around 20 min for BISGMA and UEDMA. The rates of penetration of HEMA and TEGDMA in vinyl gloves were between 1 and 4 mumol.min-1.cm-2. The passage times of HEMA and TEGDMA through most of the latex and modified latex gloves were between 5 and 8 min and the rates of penetration between 0.5 and 1 mumol.min-1.cm-2. Latex and modified latex gloves provide protection against BISGMA and UEDMA in 80 min or more with one exception (Elastyrene), which burst after about 50 min in contact with the resins. Of the tested gloves Ansell, Neutralon, Mediglove and Biogel D provide protection against HEMA and TEGDMA for at least 5 min.