Contact stomatitis: causative factors and clinical findings

Oral mucosa is continuously subjected to a wide spectrum of numerous materials including foodstuffs, drugs, cosmetics, dental materials including toothpastes and filling materials. contact stomatitis is a term that describes an inflammatory reaction of the oral mucosa by contact with irritants and allergens and it is one of the main and frequent problems in dentistry. although oral mucosa is relatively resistant to irritants and allergens, numerous numbers of patients with this disorder are described in the literature. the exact incidence of contact stomatitis is unknown and irritant reactions appear to be more common than allergic reactions. key factors involved in the potential development of irritation are: irritation potential of the agent, amount of exposure (concentration, duration, and frequency), ability to penetrate the tissue, and inherent reactivity potential of the subject. also, common allergens responsible for contact stomatitis are latex, metals, resins, and hygiene products. patch testing to a broad series of antigens may be required to distinguish irritant reactions from allergic reactions and to identify specific causes of allergic contact stomatitis. clinical manifestations are characterized by erythema, edema, ulcerations, atrophy and lichenoid lesions. the manifestations of contact stomatitis in the oral mucosa resemble the lesions due to vitamin deficiencies, some types of anemias, uremic stomatitis, nicotin stomatitis and candidiasis. the common symptoms of contact stomatitis are burning sensation, pain, paresthesia, bad taste, excessive salivation, perioral itching. aetiologic factors and clinical symptoms of contact stomatitis for dental practitioners are overviewed in this review.