Truly Nitrile Powder-Free Exam Gloves

Truly Nitrile Powder-Free Exam Gloves

Cranberry USA

Truly Nitrile exam gloves combine superior comfort, performance, and protection with reduced potential for skin irritation and allergic reactions.

Allergic reactions to latex gloves have been attributed primarily to high powder and protein content.¹ Made specifically to reduce the potential for types I and IV allergic reactions, Cranberry USA’s Truly Nitrile powderfree, low-sulphur-content gloves are the industry’s first FDA-approved nitrile exam gloves with low dermatitis potential and a “chemotherapy drug tested” claim. Five in-house quality-assurance tests ensure greater penetration resistance to selected chemicals. No substances known to be harmful to the user or others contacted by the gloves are used in their chemical formulation, nor in the surface lubrication materials.

The non-sterile ambidextrous gloves have textured fingers and rolled beaded cuffs. They come in 5 sizes and feature proprietary UberSoft technology for superior comfort and tear resistance.

Three dentists and 10 hygienists and assistants evaluated Truly Nitrile, rating such features as comfort, ease of donning, and dexterity.

Comfort and Sizing

Truly Nitrile gloves are engineered to reduce skin irritation and chemical allergies while providing “stretchy comfort.” They come in extra-small, small, medium, large, and extra-large sizes.

Clinician comfort was rated as excellent by 3 evaluators, as very good by 5, as good by 2, as fair by 1, and as poor by 2.

Comfort was cited as a favorite feature by 4 evaluators—1 called them “much more comfortable than most non-latex gloves,” and another said “comfort and the way my hands feel after removing them” are her favorite features. Two evaluators commented on the smell of the gloves, with 1 calling it “rubbery and…unpleasant.” Typically, nitrile gloves include an accelerator to reduce the smell. However, accelerators also in crease the potential for allergic reaction. Truly Nitrile gloves are accelerator free.

Twelve evaluators rated the variety of sizes: 2 as excellent, 4 as very good, 5 as good, and 1 as fair. A New York assistant who wore the medium size “could have used a size smaller; they run a little large.” Another evaluator said they “fit well…I was really happy with them.”

Dexterity

Truly Nitrile’s wet-grip technology is intended to optimize finger dexterity, which was rated as excellent by 4 evaluators, as very good by 4, as good by 3, and as fair to poor by 2. When asked about tactile sensitivity, 4 evaluators rated it as excellent, 5 rated it as very good, and 4 rated it as good to fair. Three evaluators described the gloves as slippery. One of these evaluators, an Ohio dentist in practice for 16 years, called the gloves “strong, flexible, but slippery.” Another evaluator cited finger dexterity as her favorite feature, and a third said it “felt like there was tactile sensitivity inside the gloves.”

Ease of Use (Donning)

In addition to enhancing comfort, the fourth-generation UberSoft film technology also affords greater tensile strength for unparalleled tear resistance. Truly Nitrile’s ease of donning was rated as excellent by 3 evaluators, as very good by 5, as good by 3, and as fair by 2. When asked about tear resistance while donning, 4 evaluators rated it as excellent, 6 rated it as very good, and 3 rated it as good. An evaluator who called them much better than similar gloves said tear resistance at the wrist was a feature she’d like to see improved. One evaluator called them “very flexible” and another called them “strong but light-weight.” “I like the way they go on and feel,” said an evaluator who rated all features as excellent. “I had no problems using them whatsoever.”

Overall Satisfaction

Overall satisfaction with Truly Nitrile was rated as excellent by 3 evaluators, as very good by 5, as good by 3, and as fair to poor by 2. One evaluator reported “no dermatologic response when using them,” another called them “very comfortable and affordable,” and a third said she’d “use them whenever I have a patient with a latex allergy.” A hygienist who called them much better than similar gloves reported a “superior tactile experience.”

Reference

1. Yip ES. Accommodating latex allergy concerns in surgical settings. AORN J. 2003;78:595- 598, 601-603.