The adverse effect of commercial dentine-bonding systems on the skin of guinea pigs.

It was widely known that 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (2-HEMA) can cause contact dermatitis. Commercially available dentine primers and dentine bonding agents that contain 2-HEMA are widely used. The purpose of this study was to investigate the cumulative irritation and delayed hypersensitivity caused by commercial dentine bonding systems when applied to the skin of guinea pigs. We have concluded that almost no dentine bonding systems cause cumulative irritation, but some commercially available dentine bonding systems may produce delayed hypersensitivity.