Get ready for some jaw-dropping news a new study suggests that the number of folks who develop a horrible jaw condition after taking popular oral osteoporosis drugs may be much higher than previously thought.
Osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) is a condition that causes pain swelling infection and even loose teeth. Weve been told that the risk with oral bisphosphonates is negligible, but 4 percent is not negligible, said lead study author Parish Sedghizadeh, D.D.S., assistant professor of clinical dentistry with the University of Southern California, School of Dentistry in Los Angeles.
Here at the School of Dentistry were getting two or three new patients a week that have bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw, and I know were not the only ones seeing it, he added.
Previous reports said the risks of developing ONJ from the pill form of these drugs were negligible. However, researchers did note a higher risk for developing ONJ in people taking higher doses of the drug in intravenous form.
Bisphosphonates are used to increase bone mass and reduce the risk of bone fracture in people with osteoporosis. Theyre also used to treat conditions associated with bone cancer.
But the popular drugs have also been linked to an increased risk of irregular heart rhythm, unusual fractures of the thigh bone and inflammatory eye disease. Sedghizadeh said Fosamax® is the most widely prescribed of these drugs. It ranks as the 21st most prescribed drug on the market since 2006.
Patients taking the drug for as little as one year have been diagnosed with the jaw problems. It seems to occur most frequently after routine tooth extraction, the study authors said.
Although no one is sure why bisphosphonates seem to have this effect only on jaw bones, Sedghizadeh said the drugs may make it easier for bacteria to stick to bone exposed after a tooth extraction.
The findings were published in the Journal of the American Dental Association.