Efficacy of a nonsurgical treatment regimen in patients with bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaws in Saudi Arabia

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a nonsurgical treatment regimen in the long-term control of necrotic areas of the jaws and pain in such patients. METHODS: A total of 96 patients suffering from the disease were included in this study. All patients received nonsurgical treatment regimen for 10 days, and repeated every 3 months for 2 years. The size of the osteonecrotic lesions was measured and the pain level was self-assessed with a visual analog scale. RESULTS: The patients showed a statistically significant (F = 16.1; p < .01; r(2) = .95) gradual decrease in the size of exposed bone areas during the nonsurgical therapy (from 12.5 to 8.8 mm). Pain scores ranged from 0 to 3 score scale. Complete resolution of the disease was observed in some patients. CONCLUSIONS: This conservative nonsurgical treatment regimen seems to provide successful treatment in reduction of the sizes of exposed bone areas in the majority of patients.