Patient attitudes to glove use by orthodontists

The aim of this study was to evaluate the awareness of orthodontic patients of the importance of glove wearing by orthodontists, and consisted of a patient completed questionnaire carried out at an orthodontic clinic in Ireland. The subjects were 194 consecutive patients [122 (63 per cent) female, 72 (37 per cent) male; mean +/- SD age: 15.5 +/- 2.2 years] attending an orthodontic clinic. They completed a questionnaire designed to determine their attitudes to the wearing of gloves by orthodontists. Most patients (97 per cent; n = 188) considered that orthodontists should routinely wear gloves. However, approximately 15 per cent of patients (n = 30) would attend an orthodontist who did not wear gloves. Ninety-four per cent (n = 182) of patients considered that gloves were worn to protect both the orthodontist and the patient. A total of 86.5 per cent (n = 168) of patients thought that the orthodontist should change gloves between patients. The overwhelming majority of patients surveyed demonstrated a strong awareness of the importance of glove wearing by orthodontists. The results suggest that many patients will not attend an orthodontist who does not wear gloves during treatment.