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.