title: Investigation of contact allergy to dental materials by patch testing.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Dental products are widely used by patients and dental personnel alike and may cause problems for both. Dental materials could cause contact allergy with varying manifestations such as burning, pain, stomatitis, cheilitis, ulcers, lichenoid reactions localized to the oral mucosa in patients, and hand dermatitis in dental personnel. Patch testing with the dental series comprising commonly used materials can be used to detect contact allergies to dental materials.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to identify contact allergy among patients who have oral mucosal lesions after dental treatment and among dental personnel who came in contact with these materials.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty patients who had undergone dental procedures with symptoms of oral lichen planus, oral stomatitis, burning mouth, and recurrent aphthosis, were included in the study. Dental personnel with history of hand dermatitis were also included in the study. Patch testing was performed using Chemotechnique Dental Series and results interpreted as recommended by the International Contact Dermatitis Research Group (ICDRG).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of 13 patients who had undergone dental treatment/with oral symptoms, six patients with stomatitis, lichenoid lesions, and oral ulcers showed positive patch tests to a variety of dental materials, seven patients with ulcers had negative patch tests, seven dental personnel with hand dermatitis showed multiple allergies to various dental materials, and most had multiple positivities.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The patch test is a useful, simple, noninvasive method to detect contact allergies among patients and among dental personnel dealing with these products. Long term studies are necessary to establish the relevance of these positive patch tests by eliminating the allergic substances, identifying clinical improvement, and substituting with nonallergenic materials.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, PSG Institute of Medical Science & Research, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Reena
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rai
authors.affiliation: Department of Prosthodontia, Ramakrishna Dental College, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Devina
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dinakar
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, PSG Institute of Medical Science & Research, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Swetha S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Kurian
authors.affiliation: Department of Prosthodontia, Ramakrishna Dental College, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Y A
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Bindoo
keywords: Contact allergy; dental series; patch test