Sir, working as an endodontic specialist in my home town, where I know and respect many general dental practitioners, I am frequently asked to comment on the current 'prion fiasco'. I have abundant sympathy for the NH dentist who is advised to dispose of all his endodontic files after every endodontic procedure, given that the current perceived wisdom seems to be a minefield of disinformation. The paper Cleanability of dental instruments (BDJ 2007; 203: 395–401) is a good example. It shows a photograph of an endodontic barbed broach with attached pulp. The photograph is titled 'endodontic file' which it patently is not, the significance being that the barbed broach shown would go straight in the sharps bin. This is just the sort of ongoing confusion and poor 'reporting' that is so worrying at the actual practice, operative level.

I beg the question: who are the authors and what were they thinking and even more importantly what were the referees thinking about?

These comments might sound nit-picky but I think they reflect the actual practical concern we all share at this troubled time.