Nickel allergy in adolescents in relation to orthodontic treatment and piercing of ears

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of nickel hypersensitivity in adolescents in relation to sex, onset, duration and type of orthodontic treatment, and the age at which ears were pierced. The subjects were 700 Finnish adolescents, from 14 to 18 years of age, of which 476 (68%) had a history of orthodontic treatment with metallic appliances. The study consisted of patch-testing for a nickel allergy and a patient history obtained by a questionnaire and from patient record. The frequency of nickel sensitization in the whole group was 19%. Nickel allergy was significantly more often found in girls (30%) than in boys (3%) and in subjects with pierced ears (31%) than in those with no piercing of ears (2%). Orthodontic treatment did not seem to affect the prevalence of nickel sensitization. None of the girls who were treated with fixed orthodontic appliances before ear piercing showed hypersensitivity to nickel, whereas 35% of the girls who had experienced ear piercing before the onset of orthodontic treatment were sensitized to nickel. The results suggest that orthodontic treatment does not seem to increase the risk for nickel hypersensitivity. Rather, the data suggests that treatment with nickel-containing metallic orthodontic appliances before sensitization to nickel (ear piercing) may have reduced the frequency of nickel hypersensitivity.