Contact allergy to dental materials

Abstract

The oral mucosa is constantly exposed to a large number of potentially irritating and sensitizing dental materials. Dental materials used for fillings and fixed or removable replacements must have a good biocompatibility. Metals including palladium are used in alloys for the production of the core of crowns, onto which porcelain is bonded for the generation of an artificial tooth to which the patient can develop an allergic contact dermatitis. The clinical manifestations of contact allergy to dental materials are not uniform. Objective symptoms of a contact allergy include a stomatitis and lichenoid reactions. However, patients may present with more subjective affections of the oral mucosa including burning, pain and dryness which need to be differentiated from a real contact allergic reaction. In this article we focus on the management of contact allergy to dental materials.