Reactions to resin-based dental materials in patients--type, time to onset, duration, and consequence of the reaction

The aim of the present study was to determine the types of side-effects occurring and for how long they lasted in a group of patients with side-effects assessed to be caused by resin-based materials.

A total of 618 reports were received by the Swedish National Register of Side-Effects to Dental Materials, among which 36 were on patients with reactions assessed to be caused by resin-based restorative materials. The group examined consisted of 25 women and 11 men, with a mean age of 47.8 +/- 15.6 years. A follow-up was done through a structured telephone interview.

The majority of symptoms were intra-oral or a combination of intra-oral and extra-oral symptoms that appeared within the first 24 hr after treatment. The most common adverse effects reported were skin problems, oral ulcers, and burning mouth. Within less than a week, the reactions had disappeared in 50% of the patients.

Immediate reactions to resin-based materials were more prevalent than delayed allergic reactions, and the mechanism of the immediate reactions is probably non-allergic in most cases. There is a need for developing provocation tests to verify the association between the reaction and the material, and also to identify the offending component.