I just loved the comfort, fit and overall feel of the gloves,” shared a hygienist from Wixom, MI who has been in practice for over 30 years. “[The gloves] went on easily with no tearing,” remarked a Maryland general dentist who evaluated Henry Schein’s Crite- rion CR Powder-Free Polychloroprene Exam Gloves for Dental Product Shopper.
Synthetic chloroprene gloves are a reliable and comfortable alternative to latex gloves, especially in cases of latex aller- gies. Polychloroprene gloves stretch and conform to the hand like latex while improving strength and chemical resistance.1
A combination of 14 dentists and hygienists evaluated the powder-free Criterion CR gloves for 4 weeks and rated their overall satisfaction along with specific attributes like ease of donning, strength, fit, and tactile sensitivity.
Ease of Donning and Strength
Manufacturer Description: The Criterion CR gloves are powder-free but still easy to don and have a higher tensile strength than nitrile for extended wear.
Evaluator Feedback: When asked what they liked best about the gloves, 5 evaluators specifically mentioned ease of donning. A dentist from Fort Myers, FL said the gloves “went on easy” and had “good strength,” and a hygienist with 20 years’ experience shared, “The ease of putting on the gloves without powder was a definite plus.” While 1 dentist felt the gloves were “not strong enough,” one of the hygien- ists from Ohio liked “strength” the best, and a Flushing, MI hygienist commented, “These are great gloves. I like that they don’t break when you put them on.”
Comfort and Fit
Manufacturer Description: The synthetic chloroprene gloves feel natural and fit comfortably to the hands. They are available in 5 sizes – extra-small, small, medium, large, and extra-large.
Evaluator Feedback: “I liked how the gloves fit my hands. They felt like they were streamlined in that they fit like a glove!” commented an evaluator from Avon, OH. Other remarks about comfort were “they are comfortable, thin”; “very stretchy and flexible” and “[The gloves] have the same flexibility as if they were made of latex.” A hy- gienist from Scottville, MI who has been practicing for 22 years said she liked “how smooth my hands felt after I took them off” but would like to see the “size” improved. Three other evaluators would like to see improved fit and shared comments such as “too big for my hand” and “too tight for the size offered.” A New York dentist liked the “fit and comfort” best and said the gloves were “very resistant.”
Tactile Sensitivity and Grip
Manufacturer Description: The thin gloves offer the feel and elasticity of a la- tex glove while retaining the strength of a synthetic glove.
Evaluator Feedback: Several evalua- tors remarked that tactile sensitivity and grip were their favorite attributes of the gloves. “Good tactile sensitivity,” ob- served a New Jersey dentist, and a dentist with 20 years’ experience mentioned, “I could easily feel while wearing them.” Re- garding grip, an evaluator who liked “the texture of the glove” best, stated, “It has a texture that is not slippery but is almost granular, helping me hold my instruments and equipment with ease.” A Minnesota hygienist who liked “the grip and tactile sensitivity” best commented, “I felt like I didn’t have to grasp my instrument so hard because the gloves had nice grip.” She continued, “I am hoping my doctor will let me order them as a replacement to our current gloves!”
Overall Satisfaction
Ten of the 14 evaluators rated their overall satisfaction with the gloves as ex- cellent and 10 would definitely purchase the product in the future. A hygienist from Blanchester, OH, who said she would defi- nitely purchase the gloves, observed,“[We] found no defective gloves in any boxes.” A couple dentists would like to see a variety of colors; the gloves are currently available only in green. Another dentist, who rated his overall satisfaction as excellent, wasn’t sure if he would purchase the product un- til he knew the cost.
The “gloves felt great and [I] really liked wearing them,” shared a general dentist who said the Criterion CR gloves are much better than similar products from other manufacturers. A Sheboygan, WI hygienist summed up her experience with the gloves,“We have already ordered these at one of the 2 offices I work in.”
