Must hands be washed before wearing gloves in a dental setting?

Handwashing before wearing gloves in a dental setting is essential for maintaining infection control and ensuring patient safety. This practice is mandated by guidelines from health organizations and infection control protocols. Washing hands thoroughly serves multiple purposes: it removes transient microorganisms that may be present on the skin, significantly reducing the risk of cross-contamination.

Even if gloves are worn, they can become contaminated during the process of putting them on if hands are not clean first. Proper hand hygiene before donning gloves ensures that any pathogens that might have been inadvertently acquired from the environment or from previous tasks do not get trapped under the gloves. This step helps prevent the potential transfer of bacteria or viruses to patients, making it a critical aspect of infection control in the dental practice.

In contrast, merely washing hands after treating a patient or only in cases where they appear dirty does not effectively prevent infection transmission. This proactive approach of washing hands before glove use is a foundational practice in dental hygiene protocols and supports the overall goal of minimizing the risk of infections in clinical settings.