Those individuals that come in direct contact with the latex allergic patient must wear non-latex gloves. Do not assume that the office will have non-latex gloves, especially in an emergency situation. Non-powdered gloves reduce the amount of protein and latex allergens that are airborne. The Mayo Clinic switched to synthetic and non-powdered gloves and the incidence of latex allergy dropped dramatically. Make sure the office does not store latex gloves in close proximity of the procedure because even if stored in a sealed carton the proteins do leach out into the air.
Most offices use disposable prophy angles that have a rubber cup containing latex rubber.
A few companies are providing latex-free dental products. The John O. Butler Company has stated that all of their products, are, and always have been, non-latex except for the travel proxabrush. If the nose piece for nitrous oxide is rubber latex, a barrier between skin and nose is not sufficient to ensure safety. Do without and ask for local anesthesia, or speak with the dentist and physician about possible alternatives. Air Tite and Terumo are two examples.