How Many Gloves Does Your Clinic Use? A Reorder Guide (and When Cases Beat Boxes)
Running out of gloves mid-week is a preventable emergency. So is over-ordering and tying up cash in stock. This guide gives you simple formulas to size your monthly glove order, shows when buying by the case pays off, and explains how a standing order removes the problem entirely.
Rule of thumb: Each clinical staff member uses about 1 box (100 gloves) every 2 working days. Multiply by your team size, then by ~11 working days per month, to get boxes per month. Anything above 5 boxes/month per glove type is cheaper by the case.
Step 1: Estimate Daily Glove Use per Person
| Setting | Typical use per person per day | Boxes per person per month |
|---|---|---|
| Dental (dentist / hygienist / assistant) | 40–60 gloves | 9–13 |
| Medical clinic / walk-in | 30–50 gloves | 7–11 |
| Veterinary | 30–50 gloves | 7–11 |
| Lab technician | 20–40 gloves | 4–9 |
| Long-term care aide | 30–60 gloves | 7–13 |
| Food service (vinyl) | 40–80 gloves | 9–18 |
| Salon / tattoo / automotive | 10–30 gloves | 2–7 |
Based on ~22 working days per month. Adjust for part-time staff and your own glove-change protocols.
Step 2: Do the Math
Boxes per month = (gloves per person per day × working days) ÷ 100 × number of staff.
Example — 3-operatory dental clinic: 2 dentists + 3 hygienists + 2 assistants = 7 clinical staff × ~50 gloves/day × 22 days = 7,700 gloves ≈ 77 boxes/month ≈ 8 cases. That clinic should order about two cases a week, or set up a standing monthly order of 8 cases.
Example — small medical clinic: 2 physicians + 2 nurses = 4 × 40 × 22 = 3,520 gloves ≈ 35 boxes ≈ 3–4 cases/month.
Example — restaurant kitchen: 5 line staff × 60 vinyl gloves × 26 days = 7,800 ≈ 78 boxes ≈ 8 cases of vinyl/month.
Step 3: Boxes vs Cases — When Does the Case Win?
A case is 10 boxes (1,000 gloves). On our best-sellers the case saves roughly 9–10% per box, and every case you order is one fewer reorder to remember:
| Glove | Box (100) | Case (1,000) | Effective per box | You save |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Nitrile AdvanCare 4 mil | $9.99 | $89.99 | $9.00 | $9.91 / case |
| Black TouchFlex 5 mil | $10.99 | $99.99 | $10.00 | $9.91 / case |
| Blue TouchFlex 4 mil | $9.99 | $89.99 | $9.00 | $9.91 / case |
| Vinyl Disposable | $4.49 | $39.99 | $4.00 | $4.91 / case |
| Vinyl Exam | $5.99 | $53.90 | $5.39 | $6.00 / case |
The dental clinic above saves roughly $80/month, ~$950/year just by switching from boxes to cases — before any volume discount.
Blue Nitrile AdvanCare Exam Gloves 4 Mil
Medical/dental grade · Box of 100 · S–XL
$9.99 box · $89.99 case
Shop Cases →
Black TouchFlex Nitrile Exam Gloves 5 Mil
Heavy-duty · Box of 100 · S–XL
$10.99 box · $99.99 case
Shop Cases →
Step 4: Set a Reorder Point (or a Standing Order)
- Reorder point: reorder when you have 2 weeks of stock left. For the dental example that’s ~4 cases on the shelf.
- Size mix: stock roughly 20% S, 40% M, 30% L, 10% XL, then adjust to your team.
- Standing order: tell us your monthly quantity and we ship it on a schedule — no reminders, no rush shipping, and volume pricing applies. Set one up here.
Don’t Forget the Rest of the Restock
Gloves are usually the first thing to run out, but disinfectant wipes, masks and sanitizer follow the same rhythm. Bundle them into the same monthly order:
Oxivir TB Wipes (160)
Hospital-grade · 1-minute kill · AHP
$23.99 tub · $279.99 case of 12
Shop Now →
3M 1870+ Aura N95 Surgical Respirator
Healthcare · Fluid resistant · 10 individually wrapped
$23.99 pack
Shop Now →
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Sign me upFrequently Asked Questions
How long does a case of gloves last?
1,000 gloves = ~20 practitioner-days at 50 gloves/day. A solo practitioner gets about a month; a 5-person clinical team about a week.
Do gloves expire?
Nitrile and vinyl gloves typically carry a 3–5 year shelf life when stored cool, dry and out of sunlight — so ordering a quarter ahead is safe.
Can I mix sizes in a case?
Cases are single-size, but you can order multiple cases in different sizes; contact us for split-case options on large orders.
Do you offer net terms or invoicing for clinics?
Contact us — we work with clinics, dental groups and businesses on account terms and standing orders.
Order by the case and stop running out. Nitrile & vinyl gloves shipping across Canada.
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