Prions in dentistry

Authors: Vasile Burlui, Corina Cristescu

Abstract:

Prions represent one of the contemporary dangers, which had threatening the medical world alongside AIDS, Ebola, aviary influenza etc.
Being considering as spongiform encephalopathy agents, prions had been evidentiated by Stanley Prusiner in 1982 and named accordingly. They are cellular protein particles (Pr Pc) anddo not contain nucleic acid. Their multiplication is due to the stereo chemical
mechanisms than due to the genetic mechanisms. They had a long premonitory action and causes diseases to human being and animals, diseases being always lethargic. In human being are known many more clinical forms as: Creutzfeldt Jacob disease, Kuru disease, Alpert disease etc, with a slowly envolve, but with an inexorable final.
The concern of the dentist on disease cognition is higher especially in disease prophylaxis being no secure ways of fithing and neutralizing the agent.
Being a surgical specialty, dental medicine applies to some instruments and devices, which will be infested relationed with infested blood and tissues.
That way the instrument can become vector on transmitting the spongiform encephalopathy agent. A part of oral tissues are wearers of this agent (gums, dental pulp, guinsy etc) and can contribute on transmitting the infection.
It doesnt exist a specific treatment and neither usually ways of disinfection and sterilization, the agent being extremely resistant.