OCCUPATIONAL ALLERGIC CONTACT-DERMATITIS CAUSED BY EXPOSURE TO ACRYLATES DURING WORK WITH DENTAL PROSTHESES

Between 1974 and 1992, we were consulted by 4 patients (an orthodontis t, 2 dental technicians and a dental worker trained in-house) who had developed occupational allergic contact dermatitis from working with d ental prostheses. All patients had positive allergic patch test reacti ons to methyl methacrylate (MMA), the acrylate which is the most widel y used in work with prostheses. All but the orthodontist also reacted to dimethacrylates, which are used in cross-linked dental prostheses. The last patient, investigated in 1992, had been exposed mainly to lig ht-cured acrylics, which are similar in composition to dental composit e resins. These acrylics, only recently introduced into prosthetic wor k, contain more potent acrylic sensitizers than MMA. Accordingly, dent al personnel working with prostheses may face a higher risk of sensiti zation than previously. To detect cases of occupational allergic conta ct dermatitis, we suggest that patients working with dental prostheses should be patch tested with MMA, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, dimetha crylates, epoxy acrylates and urethane acrylates.