Evaluating the effect of glove coating on the shear bond strength of porcelain laminate veneers

Gloves have become a standard tool in dentistry due to infection control concerns. But the starch powder with which many of these gloves are coated may contaminate surfaces on contact, creating potential problems during adhesive procedures such as the placement of porcelain veneers. The authors studied the powder's effect on the strength of the shear bond of etched porcelain to etched human tooth enamel and compared it to the effect of a powder-free polymer glove coating. While the starch coating led to a statistically significant decrease in shear bond strength, the powder-free coating produced no significant decrease in strength.