R Jolanki

A dental assistant developed sensitivity to dental restorative materials within 3 months of starting to use them. They contained the epoxy acrylate BIS-GMA, which is the most commonly used dimethacrylate monomer in dental composite restorations. She was positive to a patch test with BIS-GMA, which was the probable allergen, and epoxy resin, but this substance was not present in the materials used, as shown by high performance liquid chromatography. The patient was also allergic to the disinfectant Desimex i containing dodecyl diaminoethyl glycine.

Melamine-formaldehyde resin (MFR) is used as a textile finish, in tableware, in surface coatings, and in glues in the furniture and wood industry. MFR is considered to be an infrequent sensitizer. Contact allergy to MFR is often combined with formaldehyde allergy. Patients allergic to textile finish often react to MFR, although other finishes are nowadays more commonly used. Besides allergy to textile finish, allergic contact dermatitis from MFR has been described in workers in composite production and in an orthopaedic plaster technician. To our knowledge, there are no previous reports of contact allergy in the plywood industry from MFR. We describe 3 cases of occupational allergic contact dermatitis from MFR without contact allergy to formaldehyde, 1 in the plywood industry, 1 in the production of melamine-laminated chipboard and 1 in laboratory work.

Dental personnel are exposed to many sensitizing compounds at work and often develop multiple delayed allergies. Here we report on a dentist who got sensitized to several products that have not, or only seldom, caused sensitization earlier. These products were: coconut diethanolamide from her handwashing liquids, N-ethyl-4-toluene sulfonamide, a resin carrier in dental materials for isolating cavities underneath restorations, and 4-tolyldiethanolamine, an accelerator for inducing polymerization of dental acrylic resins at room temperature. The patient also had allergic patch test reactions to formaldehyde, phenol-formaldehyde resin, fragrance mix, and lauryl monoethanolamide, possibly from occupational exposure.