Bis-Phosphonates & Osteo-Necrosis of the Jaw (‘Dead Jaw Syndrome’)

[drsushant]

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[drsushant]

What should I do to minimize the risk of BONJ?

Inform your dentist that you are taking bis-phosphonates
especially if you plan to have a dental procedure
Maintain good oral hygiene, attend regular dental visits and
report any oral problems to your dentist.
If you are planning to take bis-phosphonates for cancer, you
should have a dental evaluation prior to starting the medication
and then every 6 to 12 months or as directed by your dentist.
Discuss possible side-effects with your GP

Can BONJ be treated?

There is no cure for BONJ to date.

Stopping bis-phosphonates may not alter the progression of the
disease. You should therefore discuss with your doctor whether or
not it is appropriate for you to cease bis-phosphonates.

What are the common bis-phosphonates used in treatment of
osteoporosis & cancer?

Alendronate (Fosamax, Fosamax plus, Alendro) and Risedronate
(Actonel, Actonel Combi) are most often used for osteoporosis
treatment in oral form. Pamidronate (Aredia, Pamisol) and
Zolendronic Acid (Zometa) are given by IV dose in cancer.

Note: Intravenous or IV means that a medication is injected directly
into the vein

Important Points

The main risk group for BONJ are patients on IV doses who have
CANCER — NOT patients on oral doses for osteoporosis.

The overall benefits of oral bis-phosphonates in preventing
complications (including death) from minimal trauma fractures due
to osteoporosis generally far outweigh the risk of developing BONJ.

        

[Drsumitra]

 People in South Africa are more at risk for mouth or throat cancer than they were in recent years. The reason is simple: there’s a shortage of dentists in the country.

There are fewer than 3,500 dentists who practicing in the entire country, according to the South African Dental Association. With that low number of dentists, there’s no conceivable way for people to visit the dentist regularly.

Some studies show that there are 500,000 people for each dentist in South Africa. Comparatively speaking, there is a dentist for about every 1,700 people in the United States—or slightly more or less, depending on the specific geography region.

With fewer dentists and dental visits, there are fewer chances to diagnose some type of mouth cancer or oral cancer.

There are some people that are going years between visits to the dentist. That problem, combined with smoking cigarettes and marijuana, are causing many issues for the country’s citizens. These issues are only compounded by unprotected sex and oral sex, which makes a person more susceptible to oral cancer.

The South African Dental Association states that the possibility of dying from some type of oral cancer is high based on the lack of dental visits. The reason is the cancer is diagnosed at a stage in which it’s too late to treat the problem because it has likely spread.

        

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