Management and maintenance of oral health: Personalized primary prevention strategies and protocols in patients at risk of developing medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw

Abstract

Skeletal complications arising from osteoporosis or bone metastases are associated with considerable pain, increased mortality, and diminished quality of life. Agents that prevent bone resorption, such as bisphosphonates, denosumab, and antiangiogenic agents, prove effective in reducing fracture risk and find extensive use in patients with osteoporosis or bone cancer metastases. Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) is a potentially serious adverse event associated with high cumulative doses of antiresorptive drugs. Other risk factors for osteonecrosis of the jaw include glucocorticoid use, maxillary or mandibular bone surgery, poor oral hygiene, chronic inflammation, diabetes mellitus, inappropriate dentures, and other MRONJ-related medications. Preventive strategies encompass completing necessary oral surgery before initiating antiresorptive drug therapy, administering antibiotics before and/or after the procedure, rinsing the mouth with chlorhexidine, ensuring adequate wound healing post-tooth extraction, and maintaining good oral hygiene. The primary goal of treatment is to improve the patient’s quality of life by managing pain and infection, preventing the development of new lesions, and decelerating disease progression. Dentists and dental hygienists, operating within a multi-professional team, play a key role in the primary prevention of MRONJ. However, a standardized multidisciplinary approach, fostering sustained dialog between specialists involved in the management of patients at risk for MRONJ, remains essential. This review describes the preventive and individualized oral hygiene management in patients at risk for this condition.