EVALUATION OF PATCH TEST-RESULTS WITH DENTURE MATERIAL SERIES

791 patients, among them 59 dental technicians and 732 other patients, were tested with the denture material series (DMS) recommended by the German Contact Dermatitis Research Group (DKG) in the hospitals of th e Information Network of Departments of Dermatology (IVDK) between Jan uary 1990 and July 1993. Most frequently, positive reactions occurred to cadmium chloride in both groups. However, there was no evidence at all for relevance of these reactions. Benzoyl peroxide (BPO) ranked 2n d in patch test positivity. Although not statistically significant, re actions were more frequent in dental technicians, who might be exposed to BPO the in working environment. Methyl methacrylate (MMA) and trie thylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA) were common sensitizers in dent al technicians but not in other patients. This finding, too, has its e xplanation in the working process of manufacturing dental prostheses.