Prevalence of osteonecrosis of the jaw and oral characteristics of oncologic patients treated with bisphosphonates at the General Hospital of Mexico

OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence and oral characteristics of cancer patients treated with bisphosphonates in the oncology and maxillofacial prosthesis departments of the General Hospital of Mexico between 2011 and 2013. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study included patients who received prior treatment with bisphosphonates; an intraoral examination was performed by 2 standardized examiners. RESULTS: The prevalence of bisphosphonate-related necrosis in 75 patients was 2.6%; the most common malignancy was breast cancer (84.0%), followed by prostate cancer (16.0%). Exostosis was present in 9.3% of patients and the mean Decayed, Missing, Filled Teeth index was 4.64; 44.0% of the study group had a Community Periodontal Index value between 2 and 2.9 (mean, 0.60). CONCLUSION: A detailed intraoral assessment must be performed before initiating treatment with bisphosphonates to identify risk factors for osteonecrosis.