WHEN IT COMES TO SELECTING A GLOVE IN A DENTAL OFFICE, THE CHOICES ARE SOMEWHAT OVERWHELMING. THERE ARE MANY FACTORS TO CONSIDER SUCH AS:
- Fit - Does the glove conform properly to your hand movements?
- Price - Is the glove affordable and economical?
- Tear Strength - Out of a box, how many actually tear when putting on or utilizing during a procedure ?
- One Glove Fits All - Does your office strive to find a glove that suits everyone to make it easier to order and get more volume discounts?
All of these factor into efficient and enjoyable glove purchasing. Below are a couple of tips to help with the all-important glove dilemma.
Tip #1:
- When trying on a new sample glove, put the new sample glove on one hand and the other one that you are used to buying on the other hand. Use both during a procedure to compare. You'll know which one you like very quickly.
Tip #2:
- When looking at pricing, always look at per glove pricing. Never look at box pricing. Individual boxes of gloves can come in an array of quanitities. There are boxes that contain 100 gloves, 200 gloves, 250 gloves, 300 gloves, etc. Glove manufacturers started changing their quantities in individual boxes because transportation costs had risen.
Also, you will need to factor in the incentive of the manufacturer. For example, some manufacturers have an aggressive special like buy 7 boxes, get 3 free. Gloves typically come in a case of 10 boxes or 20 boxes They incentivize the office to purchase cases. Let's say that a box of 100 gloves sells for $7.00. If you bought 1 box, that would be 7 cents per glove. However, if they had a buy 7 boxes, get 3 free, the cost per glove nets down to 4.9 cents per glove which is a 30% savings.
Tip #3:
- Coming to an agreement on one glove for many team members can be challenging and sometimes dramatic in a dental office. Wearing gloves every day/ all day can cause certain long term hand fatigue if the proper fit is not accomplished. Having a couple choices that are pre-screened can be an ideal protocol in an office. A dental rep can help you obtain proper samples and pricing that meet your individual needs and budget. They also have a pulse on what most offices order and can help you narrow down to a select few.
Jacob Sigmon is a dental specialist in the Coastal Georgia region. He has been in the industry for over 15 years. He has a birds-eye approach of helping dental offices with lowering their current overhead expenditures as well as creating growth opportunities. Jacob is very involved with corporate development strategies within Atlanta Dental that helps meet the need of his customers. He can be reached at jacobsigmon@atlantadental.com.