Dental Personnel Are At Risk of Developing Occupational Contact Dermatitis

Occupational related contact dermatitis is common in dental personnel, according to a recent study published in Dermatitis.

Researchers aimed to determine the prevalence of occupational contact dermatitis in dental personnel referred for patch testing and characterize relevant allergens and sources in a retrospective, cross-sectional analysis of the North American Contact Dermatitis Group data.

A total of 41,109 patients were included in the NACDG data, but only 585 were dental personnel. Dental personnel were more likely to be female, have occupationally related dermatitis, and/or have primary hand involvement compared with nondental personnel. A total of 27.7% had one or more occupationally related allergic patch test reaction, which included glutaldehyde, thiuram mix, and carba mix. These allergens were present in gloves, dental materials, and sterilizing solutions. Of the dental personnel, 22.2% had occupationally related irritant contact dermatitis, which was related to nonskin soaps, detergents, and disinfectants.

“Occupational contact dermatitis is common in dental personnel referred for patch testing. Comprehensive testing beyond screening series is important in these patients,” concluded the study authors.

Reference
Warshaw EM, Ruggiero JL, Atwater AR, et al. Occupational Contact Dermatitis in Dental Personnel: A Retrospective Analysis of the North American Contact Dermatitis Group Data, 2001 to 2018. Dermatitis. 2022;33(1):80-90. doi:10.1097/DER.0000000000000847