Dentaltown October 2015 - (Page 113)

general practice column Human Herpesvirus Infections and What They Mean for Dentists by Ronald Keeney, MD T he human herpesviruses (HHVs) are the cause of a wide range of illnesses in large numbers of people around the world. The diseases range from trivial and self-limited to lethal. The common coldsore virus can cause encephalitis and others increase the chances of acquiring HIV. Relief of suffering and shortening the time of viral replication and perhaps even some cures are possible in the foreseeable future. HHVs are ubiquitous viruses that have been around at least as long as human history has been recorded. Some have only recently been recognized, and there will no doubt be more to follow. Herpesviruses are present throughout the animal and plant kingdoms. A herpesvirus may have caused the Irish potato famine. It can certainly kill off the genetically engineered clones that are used to begin the tiny plants that become one of the world's major food crops. A herpes virus was responsible for the loss of nearly all oysters in France in 2007. Equine anemia is caused by a herpesvirus and poses a major threat to breeders, racers and showers of the world's fi nest horses. Simian Herpes B virus, another herpesvirus, causes lesions in monkeys similar to human cold sores. In humans, the same virus can cause a form of encephalomyelitis that is lethal in 75 percent of cases. The origins of HHV are lost in antiquity, but our imaginations allow us to speculate that at the beginning of human time, intracellular genetic accidents may have occurred during normal cellular growth, metabolism and replication. These accidents might have resulted in sub-microscopic, viable particles of DNA that got trapped in an outer coating of normal cell membrane, as apoptotic cells collapsed upon themselves. Upon contact with other live cells, these particles might have fused their membrane with familiar host-cell membranes, thus gaining entry into the live cell to begin a new life cycle of latency, reactivation, replication and future movement to other cells. The HHV causes a variety of infections and disorders that range from mild and self-limited to morbidity-causing, sight-threatening, debilitating and life-threatening diseases. They are the first human viruses to have been successfully treated with disease-specific drugs. Most of history's successes against viruses have been achieved with vaccines. The HHV has opened the door to specific and effective treatments not just for HHVs, but for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), human hepatitis viruses, influenza viruses and in the very near future, quite possibly the respiratory syncytial and the rhinoviruses (common cold virus). During the early 1980s, HHVs, particularly HSV-2, received widespread media attention. The magazine Time ran a story with the cover proclaiming genital herpes as the new "Scarlet Letter." However, the dentaltown.com \\ OCTOBER 2015 113 http://www.dentaltown.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Dentaltown October 2015

On Dentaltown.com
Howard Speaks: Don’t Go it Alone
Professional Courtesy: Great Patient Relationships? F.U.!
Continuing Education Update
Industry News
All on Four’d Out
A Direct Hit to the Jaw: Bisphosphonates and Osteonecrosis of the Jaw in Osteoporosis and Cancer Patients
Five Components to Team Synergy
Practice Solutions: Clear-Aligner Therapy
In Focus: Microphotography using the Dental Operative Microscope
Anesthesia Safety
The Practice that Perseverance Built
What Kind of Payment Plans to Offer?
Are You Providing Five-Star Service?
Am I Being Too Conservative?
You Should Know: Healthy Grid
The Benefi ts of Mini Dental Implants
Denture Stabilization with Small- Diameter Implants
Independence Day
Post-Treatment Management of Orthodontic Patients
How to Track True Treatment Acceptance
CAD/CAM as a Marketing Tool
New Products
Practice Solutions: Voco
Poll
Surgical Crown Lengthening
Product Profi le: Umbie
And Sealants for All
Ad Index
Human Herpesvirus Infections and What They Mean for Dentists
Quick, Conservative and Highly Esthetic Treatment Planning for Severe Anterior Tooth Wear
Dentally Incorrect

Dentaltown October 2015