Background: The development of bisphosphonate-associated osteonecrosis in patients with a history of intravenous bisphosphonate therapy is a significant cause of concern in clinical periodontal practice. The role of oral bisphosphonates in the development of bisphosphonate-associated osteonecrosis is less clear. This article documents the results of treatment of patients with a history of oral bisphosphonate therapy in two private periodontal practices. The study was a retrospective analysis of case records of patients treated as part of routine periodontal and implant treatment.
Methods: Patients with a history of oral bisphosphonate therapy of various durations were treated with implant placement and restoration or tooth extraction, immediate placement, and restoration. These patients were followed for 12 to 24 months after implant placement. The incidence of hard and soft tissue complications, including the development of osteonecrosis, was noted.
Results: No osteonecrosis was noted immediately postoperatively or during the follow-up period in 61 patients. One patient demonstrated a small tissue dehiscence at the 1-week postoperative examination following extraction of a mandibular first molar and simultaneous implant placement in the area of a prominent torus. No other postoperative complications were noted. All implants were functioning successfully by the Albrektsson criteria 12 to 24 months post-insertion.
Conclusions: A history of oral bisphosphonate use for a mean period of 3.3 years (range, 1 to 5 years) was not found to be a contributing factor to the development of osteonecrosis following implant placement in intact ridges or tooth extraction with immediate implant placement. However, there is no doubt that larger controlled studies and retrospective reports are needed.