Contact allergy to gold is correlated to dental gold.

Questionnaire studies have indicated that patients with dental gold will more frequently have contact allergy to gold. This study aimed at investigating the relationship between contact allergy to gold and the presence and amount of dental gold alloys. A total of 102 patients were referred for patch testing because of suspicion of contact allergy. Patch tests were performed with gold sodium thiosulphate 2% and 5%. The patients underwent an oral clinical and radiological examination. Contact allergy to gold was recorded in 30.4% of the patients, and of these 74.2% had dental gold (p=0.009). A significant correlation was found between the amount of gold surfaces and contact allergy to gold (p=0.008), but there was no statistical relationship to oral lesions. It is concluded that there is a positive relationship between contact allergy to gold and presence and amount of dental gold alloys.