ONJ (osteonecrosis of the jaw) -- jaw death

I had a talk with my dentist recently and he told me about his uncle who had dental implants and at the implant sites suffers from ONJ (osteonecrosis of the jaw) – the patient’s jaw bone disintegrates – known as jaw death.

There have been reports of ONJ in cancer patients whose treatment includes biophosphonates.

Brand names for common biophosphonates include: Aredia, Fosamax, Zometa, Boniva and Actonel.

These drugs are commonly prescribed to prevent bone loss and osteoporosis due to steroid use, bone cancer and other bone diseases.

Signs and symptoms of ONJ: localized jaw pain, gum swelling, inflammation, loosening of previously stable teeth, and exposed bone. These symptoms most commonly occur at the site of previous tooth extraction or other dental surgical interventions.

Other possible causes of ONJ: chemotherapy, cancer, infections, smoking and others.

Lawsuits have been filed against the pharmaceutical firms responsible for making and selling biophosphonates.