Glove perforation during surgical extraction of wisdom teeth.

OBJECTIVE

This study investigated the incidence of sterile surgical glove perforation during hospital-based surgical extractions of wisdom teeth performed with patients under general anesthesia.

STUDY DESIGN

A total of 104 consecutive patients (420 gloves) were studied prospectively. A standardized water inflation technique was used.

RESULTS

The operative perforation rate was 8.6%, or 4.3% per surgeon per operative side. The individual glove perforation rate was 2.1% per operation. Over 55% of perforations were not noticed at the time of surgery. There were no skin-penetrating injuries or visible contamination with body fluids. The perforation rate was the same with drill and chisel.

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence of glove perforation is lower than previously reported. The surgical extraction of wisdom teeth carries a relatively low yet still significant risk with regard to exposure to bloodborne cross-infection. We recommend that high-quality surgical gloves be used and that universal precautions be adhered to.