The very gloves dental practitioners wear to protect patients from infection and disease could be a danger to their health if those gloves are made from latex and they are allergic to the substance.
More than 25 percent of health care workers and up to 16 million of the general population are allergic to latex, according to an article published in the January 2004 issue of AGD Impact , the monthly newsmagazine of the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD).
Every day millions of people come into contact with latex, a plant-based product found in more than 40,000 consumer products, including clothing, garden hoses and rubber bands. Allergic reactions come from proteins found in latex or to chemicals added during production.
Latex exposure in health care settings can trigger a variety of symptoms. In the dental office, exposure to airborne latex dust from powdered gloves can cause an allergic reaction.
There are many uses of latex in the dental office besides protective gloves, such as rubber dams and prophy cups. It is important for patients to get diagnosed from an allergist to determine if they are allergic to latex.
"If patients have a true anaphylactic reaction to latex, as opposed to hypersensitivity to a component of latex, that information must be given to the dental office before setting foot in the building," says Trey Petty, DDS, FAGD, AGD spokesperson.
Blood and skin tests are available to test for latex allergy, the symptoms of which include the relatively mild (runny nose) to the severe (anaphylactic shock).
Latex allergy symptoms
* Hives
* Hay-fever
* Itchy, swollen eyes
* Runny nose
* Irritated skin
* Sneezing
* Asthma attacks
* Anaphylactic shock.
