Latex-Free Endodontics — ORE Part 1 MCQ

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ModerateDental MaterialsLatex-Free EndodonticsORE Part 1

A 30-year-old woman with a known latex allergy presents for root canal treatment. In addition to using nitrile gloves, what other item commonly used in endodontics must be substituted?

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Reveal the answer and explanation

Correct answer: D — Rubber dam

Explanation lettering: C = shown as A · D = shown as B · B = shown as C · A = shown as D

The correct answer is A: rubber dam. Natural rubber latex (NRL) is a major component of conventional rubber dams, and case reports document severe hypersensitivity reactions—including anaphylaxis—triggered by latex dam placement during endodontic treatment. UK guidance from the Faculty of General Dental Practitioners (FGDP) mandates that all equipment for latex-allergic patients must be substituted; once nitrile gloves are in use, the rubber dam isolation barrier is the next critical contact material requiring replacement with a non-latex alternative (synthetic or modified dam). Distractors B–E do not contain latex: gutta percha, despite containing 'rubber' colloquially, is a non-allergenic thermoplastic from tree sap; sodium hypochlorite, paper points, and stainless steel files are chemically inert and safe for latex-allergic patients.

Reference: Faculty of General Dental Practitioners (UK). Guidance for the Management of Natural Rubber Latex Allergy in Dental Patients and Dental Healthcare Workers. Published by Royal College of Surgeons of England. Cited in: NHS Tayside Clinical Natural Rubber Latex (NRL) Policy and RCS Annals article on latex-free rubber dam alternatives (2013). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11199717/