Monomer permeability of disposable dental gloves.
BACKGROUND
Studies have suggested that monomers may be able to permeate dental gloves.


OBJECTIVE
This study examined the permeability of disposable dental gloves to 6 kinds of dental monomers.


METHODS
The permeability of 6 kinds of dental monomers (methyl methacrylate [MMA], 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate [HEMA], triethyleneglycol methacrylate [TEGDMA], ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate [EGDMA], urethane dimethacrylate [UDMA], and Bis-glycidyl methacrylate [Bis-GMA]) through 5 kinds of dental gloves (latex, powder-free latex, coated latex, polychloroprene, and polyvinyl chloride) was examined for up to 180 minutes at 37 degrees C. The fingers of unused gloves without pin holes were cut and used in the experiments. Five specimens per test group were examined. One type of monomer was poured into each finger and dipped in ethanol. The ethanol for extraction was measured by a spectrophotometer at a wavelength of 210 nm, and the results were analyzed by analysis of variance and the Kruskal-Wallis test (P<.05).


RESULTS
Four of the monomers tested (MMA, HEMA, TEGDMA, and EGDMA) permeated the gloves tested, whereas 2 (UDMA and Bis-GMA) did not (P>.01). The amount of monomers permeating the latex in 10 minutes was 0.8 +/- 0.6, 0.6 +/- 0.6, 0.07 +/- 0.1, 0.07 +/- 0.1, 0.1 +/- 0.1 and 0.06 +/- 0.1 microL/mL for MMA, HEMA, EGDMA, TEGDMA, UDMA, and Bis-GMA, respectively. The amount of permeated monomer was then increased in relation to the examination time, and in MMA and HEMA, permeation occurred rapidly during the initial 60 minutes at 3 times the 10-minute values, then continued gradually and linearly. The polyvinyl chloride glove showed the greatest monomer permeability. Two-way analysis of variance showed significant correlations between MMA, HEMA, EGDMA or TEGDMA and UDMA or Bis-GMA (P<.01). Statistical significance was shown between polyvinyl chloride and latex, powder-free latex, coated latex or polychloroprene (P<.01). However, there was no significant relation between any kind of dental monomer and any kind of dental glove.


CONCLUSIONS
Within the limitations of this study, 4 of the monomers tested permeated all of the gloves tested.
Nakamura
Masaaki
M
Osaka Dental University, Osaka, Japan. nakamura@cc.osaka-dent.ac.jp
Oshima
Hiroshi
H
Hashimoto
Yoshiya
Y
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D017438:Bisphenol A-Glycidyl Methacrylate / Q000737:chemistry; D003188:Composite Resins / Q000737:chemistry; D004209:Disposable Equipment; D000431:Ethanol / Q000737:chemistry; D005932:Gloves, Surgical / Q000145:classification; D006801:Humans; D007840:Latex / Q000737:chemistry; D008422:Materials Testing; D008689:Methacrylates / Q000737:chemistry*; D020366:Methylmethacrylate / Q000737:chemistry; D009387:Neoprene / Q000737:chemistry; D010539:Permeability; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry; D011109:Polymethacrylic Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D011140:Polyurethanes / Q000737:chemistry; D011143:Polyvinyl Chloride / Q000737:chemistry; D012997:Solvents / Q000737:chemistry; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors
D003188:Composite Resins; D007840:Latex; D008689:Methacrylates; D011109:Polymethacrylic Acids; D011140:Polyurethanes; D012997:Solvents; C029824:urethane dimethacrylate luting resin; C020946:triethylene glycol dimethacrylate; D020366:Methylmethacrylate; D000431:Ethanol; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D017438:Bisphenol A-Glycidyl Methacrylate; C005044:hydroxyethyl methacrylate; C004919:ethylene dimethacrylate; D011143:Polyvinyl Chloride; D009387:Neoprene