Anaphylaxis and your teeth

Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia (A&AA) has recently been working with the Australian Dental Association (ADA) to raise awareness among dentists of the risk of anaphylaxis to dental products containing food. The risk mainly relates to milk in dental products. People have had anaphylaxis to products such as Tooth Mousse®, which contains milk. A&AA wrote an article titled ‘Anaphylaxis in dentistry’ for the ADA newsletter, News Bulletin. In addition, the ADA hosted a webinar on this topic for dentists and their staff, which was presented by Professor Connie Katelaris, a clinical immunology and allergy specialist. A&AA CEO, Maria Said, was on the discussion panel.

Following on from this webinar, A&AA wrote 2 articles for the ADA website teeth.org.au. This website is used by the public to find trusted information about oral health from dental experts across Australia. You can access these articles below:

• Anaphylaxis and oral health
• Factsheet – milk allergies and dental care

When visiting the dentist, ALWAYS:

• tell the dentist about any allergy you may have at every visit, especially allergies to foods, medications, or latex
• take your EpiPen® or Anapen® and ASCIA Action Plan for Anaphylaxis to every appointment
• check the ingredients of dental products purchased over the counter or at the supermarket, as they may contain food allergens, especially milk. Sometimes, milk is listed by other names, such as casein.