Worldwide demand for personal protective equipment, especially nitrile gloves, continues to outpace production capabilities. Shortages of raw materials such as butadiene, a component of nitrile gloves, continued pressure on manufacturing due to COVID outbreaks in factories, as well as higher shipping costs, are contributing to escalating prices.
Nitrile and chloroprene gloves are likely to see the highest price increases in the near term, but latex and even vinyl glove prices are also expected to go up.
Dentists may want to reserve textured nitrile gloves for procedures and have the dental team use less costly vinyl or untextured gloves for cleaning and sterilization when a firm grip is less important.
TDSC Powered by Henry Schein is a reliable source for exam gloves. Visit TDSC.com to see what’s available.