There is no evidence of transmission of vCJD, so why do we have to make all these changes?

There is currently no evidence that vCJD has been transmitted by clinical dental practice, although collecting appropriate epidemiological data is difficult. A number of experimental studies have highlighted the potential infectivity of oral tissues reinforcing the need for continuing best practice in instrument decontamination. It is possible that dental/oral tissues of patients already infected could carry the infective agent. If so, material adhering to instruments may transmit infection to subsequent patients treated with the same dental instruments. The very large number of dental procedures performed annually means that even small transmission risks per procedure could create an appreciable risk to public health. The risk of transmission of vCJD and other healthcare acquired infections will be greatly reduced by compliance with current decontamination policies and procedures for all patients as outlined by the HPS LDU guidance.