[Allergy in dentistry]

In the dental office chiefly two kinds of (the four) allergic reactions are encountered. Type I is provoked mainly by local anesthetics and drugs and causes immediate, general symptoms among which the dramatic anaphylactic shock. Type IV ('delayed reaction') is provoked by metals ( in particular nickel) and synthetic prosthetic materials, sometimes by drugs, and gives rise to local pathological changes in and around the mouth. In case of a suspected allergy several diagnostic tests are available. First of all one has to prevent allergic reactions, for instance by looking for alternative materials. In case of serious anaphylactic reactions one must know how to treat these.