[Views on the use of nickel alloys in oral cavity]

The biological tolerance of permanent prosthetic replacements made of nickel-containing alloys has been the subject of discussions for years. In the past, allergic contact reactions in the mucosa were rarely observed, and as a rule they were always connected with present or imminent skin allergization. The studies of some authors on the frequency of nickel hypersensitivity in persons wearing prosthetic replacements containing nickel showed usually no differences in comparison with control groups having no such replacements. However, in the literature many reports were published also disqualifying these alloys in view of the allergizing effect of nickel released from them in the mouth. A survey of the literature gives thus no clear-cut conclusions concerning the use of alloys based on nickel in stomatological prosthetics.