Allergic Reaction to Titanium-Made Fixed Dental Restorations: A Clinical Report

From the mid 1980s (approximately 10 years after titanium was first used as a medical metal), reports of suspected Ti sensitization began to emerge. In the present report, a 33-year-old Japanese woman presented with pruritus of the fingers and a specific reaction to mercury, nickel, and silver on lymphocyte stimulation testing (LST). Her condition improved after 17 restorations containing Hg or Ag were removed. Titanium and composite resin, both of which had no reaction on LST, were used in replacements of the intraoral restoration after the pruritus improved; however, cervical eczema emerged after 9 months, and repeat LST showed a specific reaction to Ti. The eczema improved after removal of the titanium. It is therefore likely that Ti allergy provoked the eczema. This report suggests that clinicians should be aware of the possibility of a titanium allergy from a dental restoration.