Sir, I write further to the letter by R. Evans of Kidlington (BDJ 2008; 205: 523) addressing a patient's concerns of latex 'allergy' to a toothbrush, which may very rarely be elicited by contact with the handle of the toothbrush or the on/off button of the electric toothbrush during use, assuming these are 'always' latex derivatives. Moreover, with the advent of advancing trends and products in oral care, there is a lot of competition amongst the leading manufacturers to ensure products are latex free.

In our experience, true latex hypersensitivity in an individual resulting from toothbrush use or contact requiring hospital treatment has not been reported before. We would however, strongly advise individuals interested in purchasing dental products to obtain their own verification of the latex status of any product directly from the product supplier or manufacturer.