Prevalence of pre-therapeutic dental care in osteoporotic patients indicated for bisphosphonate treatment

PurposeDental evaluation is recommended before bisphosphonates (BPs) initiation because of the rare but serious risk of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw. In this context, the objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of the indication for dental care (DC) prior to BPs initiation for osteoporosis (OP).MethodsMonocentric retrospective study between January 2019 and August 2022. Inclusion criteria: patients requiring OP treatment with dental evaluation (panoramic dental X-ray (PD) and dental teleconsultation). Exclusion criteria: PD without tele-dental evaluation, BPs for other indications than OP, OP not treated with BPs. Collected data: demographic characteristics, medical history, bone status, conclusions of tele-dental expertise.Results130 patients were included, mean age of 74.3 years (±12.2), 102 were women. DC was required for 95/130 patients (DC group). In the DC group, 77/95 required surgical DC, 35/77 completed the surgical DC, and 30/35 initiated BPs. 18/95 patients required non-surgical DC, 6/18 completed the DC, and 5/6 initiated BPs. BPs were initiated in 35/95 (36,8%) patients in the DC group and 29/35 (82,9%) in the non-DC group.ConclusionThe prevalence of DC required before BPs initiation in OP patients is high and have a negative impact on the effective implementation of OP treatment. These results emphasize the need for healthcare policies aimed at improving access to DC and the necessity for clear guidelines regarding DC management in the context of BPs therapy.