Guidance has been issued by the four UK Health Departments that endodontic (root treatment) instruments should not be re-used.

Early research findings from the Health Protection Agency in studies in mice suggest that these precautionary measures should be taken against a theoretical risk of the transfer of vCJD infectivity as root treatment files and reamers are particularly difficult to decontaminate. There are no known or suspected cases of vCJD transmission arising from dental procedures.

As the Departments advice explains, the risks associated with re-use of endodontic instrumentation are theoretical. There have been no known cases of transmission of vCJD via dental treatment. The studies carried out are based in animal experiments using intense exposure to very high concentrations of prion infected tissue. These studies have produced what is described as a “plausible possibility” of infection via re-use of endodontic instruments. It is on this basis that the Health Departments have issued the advice against re-use and the Scottish Executive Health Department has restated and strengthened its advice.

As dentist’s, however, we will take this advise very seriously and will act upon it. We therefore also recommend that root treatment instruments should be single patient use only.

Since single use of these instruments has not been factored into the root treatment fee, there is a £25.00 supplementary charge for these.