What is the primary purpose of wearing overgloves in a dental setting?

The primary purpose of wearing overgloves in a dental setting is to prevent contamination while retrieving supplies or making notes. Overgloves are typically used when dental professionals have to perform an action that could compromise their hand hygiene, such as touching surfaces or items that may not be sterile after having been in contact with a patient or a non-sterile surface. By using overgloves, dental staff can ensure that their hands remain clean and that they do not transfer any contaminants to instruments, materials, or notes they might handle during patient treatment.

While maintaining sterility during a surgical procedure is crucial, overgloves are not specifically designed for that purpose, as other more appropriate barriers are used during surgery. Providing a barrier between staff and patients is important, but the primary goal of overgloves is to prevent contamination rather than to act solely as a barrier. Additionally, protecting hands from chemical exposure is a significant focus in dental practice, but this is typically addressed with appropriate gloves designed for chemical protection rather than overgloves, which are primarily focused on maintaining cleanliness while switching tasks.