Certain dental products contain food ingredients that can cause allergic reactions, and as a dental professional, it is important to be aware of this potential danger. Allergies are very common, and it is essential to take all necessary precautions to prevent any reaction from occurring while patients are in our care. The most common allergic reactions among dental staff are allergies to latex, acrylates, and formaldehyde. While polymethylmethacrylates and latex cause delayed hypersensitivity reactions, sodium metabisulfite and nickel cause immediate reactions.
In recent years, due to the increase in the number of patients with allergies to different materials, practicing dentists should be aware of documented allergies and take steps to avoid any allergic manifestations in the dental clinic. The supply problems of the Adrenaline Auto-Injector (AAI) led the Director of Dental of England (CDO) to ask dental offices that stored AAI in their emergency medical medicine kits to renew them with adrenaline ampoules, in order to preserve national stocks of the devices. A similar case was recently reported in Australia, where a child with a milk allergy developed anaphylaxis after using “dental foam” containing Recaldent during dental treatment. Chlorhexidine is an effective antiseptic that is widely used in dentistry, and is present in several dental products, including some mouthwashes, toothpastes and dental implants.
During dental treatment, various materials are used that can have side effects on patients and dental staff; therefore, it is necessary to use them with caution. If a patient with an indication for prophylaxis who received appropriate antibiotic premedication before a dental procedure one day and who is then scheduled for dental surgery the next day also justifies premedication (e.g., all manufacturers of dental products are required to provide this documentation to dental offices if requested).
