Prevalence of jaw osteonecrosis among patients receiving bisphosphonates in Riyadh

The objective of this study is to obtain data on the prevalence of bisphosphonate-associated osteonecrosis of the jaws (ONJ) among patients who received dental treatment in Riyadh.The study was conducted in five hospitals in the Riyadh area. All subjects were interviewed to collect data regarding their medical history, bisphosphonates usage, dental history, and possible complications after dental treatment. A total of 88 subjects under bisphosphonates therapy were interviewed, 25% were males and 75% were females. Bisphosphonates were taken orally by 89.7% of the subjects while 10.2% received bisphosphonate intravenously. All the subjects have had dental treatments after the beginning of bisphosphonate therapy. 79.5% of those patients had dental extraction, 13.6% root canal treatment, 4.5% oral surgery, and 4.5% received dental implants. No complications were reported after the dental treatment.In the present study, patients with bisphosphonates therapy did not develop complication after the dental treatment. However, it is recommended that patients receiving bisphosphonate therapy should be treated with precaution. Dental awareness programs should be provided to the physicians prescribing bisphosphonates to their patients.