Allergic reactions to local anesthetics in dental patients: analysis of intracutaneous and challenge tests.

Some dental patients have histories of adverse reactions to local anesthesia. The aim of the present study was to investigate the frequency of allergy to local anesthetics of dental patients who had histories of adverse reactions to local anesthesia based on the results of allergy tests in our institute over a period of 5 years. We investigated the past medical records of dental patients retrospectively, and twenty patients were studied. Three of the 20 showed a positive or false-positive reaction in the intracutaneous test, and one patient showed a false-positive reaction in the challenge test. Our results suggest that the frequency of allergy to local anesthetics is low even if patients have histories of adverse reactions to local anesthesia. However, allergy tests of local anesthetics should be performed in patients in whom it is uncertain whether they are allergic.