Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw: current theoretical and useful concepts for the general practitioner

Abstract

Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) is a syndrome associated to the use of antiresorptive therapy (bisphosphonates), RANK-ligand inhibitors and angiogenesis inhibitors drugs, used for the treatment of cancer and osteoporosis among other diseases. Purpose: Update the knowledge on its etiopathogenesis emphasizing the role of infection, and in doing so, look for treatments that can be carried out by general practitioners. Materials and methods: A scoping review is performed through Medline (Pubmed) and Cochrane databases, of articles published from to 2010, in English and Spanish, including MeSH keywords such as “osteonecrosis of the jaw; “antiresorptive drug”; “bisphosphonates”; “Denosumab”; “surgical wound infection”; “dental extraction”. Conclusions: The current evidence demonstrate that, taking into account individual risk factors, teeth extractions can be harmless performed in patients under antiresorptive or antiangiogenic interetherapies because the origin of MRONJ appears to be more related to biofilm contamination than with the use or effects of any specific drug. Once MRONJ is installed, surgical therapies prove to be more effective in the treatment and remission of these lesions.