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Propolis is a lipophilic resin extracted from plants by bees. The purpose of this case report was to show the importance of this substance as cause of allergic contact cheilitis. A 21-year-old female patient complained of pruritic perioral eczema for 5 years. In the past months it also affected the neck. After diagnosing contact dermatitis, she was submitted to a patch test with a Latin American baseline series. The result was strongly positive for propolis (++) and weakly positive for perfume mix I (+). After the test, the patient revealed she had been using propolis drops, per oris, for 10 years. The worsening of the condition was due to increased dose, aiming “to improve immunity”, during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The contact allergy to propolis might be increasing due to the widespread use of natural products. Propolis is a sensitizer to be considered in patients with long-lasting cheilitis.

Propolis is a lipophilic resin extracted from plants by bees. The purpose of this case report was to show the importance of this substance as cause of allergic contact cheilitis. A 21-year-old female patient complained of pruritic perioral eczema for 5 years. In the past months it also affected the neck. After diagnosing contact dermatitis, she was submitted to a patch test with a Latin American baseline series. The result was strongly positive for propolis (++) and weakly positive for perfume mix I (+). After the test, the patient revealed she had been using propolis drops, per oris, for 10 years. The worsening of the condition was due to increased dose, aiming “to improve immunity”, during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The contact allergy to propolis might be increasing due to the widespread use of natural products. Propolis is a sensitizer to be considered in patients with long-lasting cheilitis.

SUMMARY Allergic reactions sometimes participate in the development of perioral and oral diseases, indicating the need for appropriate allergen assessment. This review discusses current knowledge on the potential allergic reactions to different dental materials in patients with oral and perioral diseases. Aside from allergies to various dental materials, similar non-allergic, non-immune contact reactions (irritant or toxic) can occur. Among dental materials, the most frequent allergens are alloys, followed by rubber materials, polymers and acrylates. Allergic reactions to dental alloys that contain nickel, cobalt and amalgam are especially frequent since dentists use them for prosthetic and other restorations. There is a broad spectrum of clinical presentations of oral and perioral diseases possibly related to allergies, such as lichenoid reactions, cheilitis, perioral dermatitis, burning sensations, etc. Despite some limitations, patch test is crucial in the diagnosis and recognition of causative allergens because it reveals contact allergies, and is still superior in differentiating allergic and irritant contact reactions. It is important to examine patient medical histories (e.g., occurrence of symptoms after dental therapy or food consumption), and in consultation with their dentist, carry out allergy tests to specific dental allergens which are used or planned to be used in subsequent treatment.