title: Prions in dentistry: A need to be concerned and known.
abstract: Prion diseases were first discovered by Stanley B. Prusiner who defined prions as infectious, transmissible proteinaceous particles that lack nucleic acid and are composed exclusively of a modified isoform of the noninfectious cellular prion protein (PrPC). These are incurable neurodegenerative conditions affecting both animals and humans. They may be sporadic, infectious or inherited in origin. Human prion diseases include Creutzfeldt-Jakob desease (CJD), Gerstmann- Straussler-Scheinker disease, Kuru and Fatal familial insomnia. Prions resist the conventional sterilization procedures and hence the dentists must be aware of such diseases so as to opt standard methods of infection control and decontamination for such infectious agents. This review article divulge the dentists with a brief overview of the characteristics of prions, the risk of transmission and the implications for infection control in dentist.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, School of Dental Sciences, Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences Deemed University, Karad, Maharastra, India.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sushma
authors.affiliation: Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, School of Dental Sciences, Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences Deemed University, Karad, Maharashtra, India.
authors.forename: Sachin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gugwad
authors.affiliation: Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, Goa Dental College and Hospital, Bambolim, Goa, India.
authors.forename: Rajdeep
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pavaskar
authors.affiliation: Department of Prosthodontics and Crown and Bridge, School of Dental Sciences, Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences Deemed University, Karad, Maharastra, India.
authors.forename: Shambhvi A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Malik
keywords: Prion; prion protein; transmissible spongiform encephalopathies