Interdisciplinary management of a patient with medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw: A clinical report

Abstract

Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) can be induced by Bisphosphonates (BRONJ), Denosumab, and other antiresorptive or antiangiogenic medications. The number of affected patients with MRONJ is increasing worldwide including in Japan. The treatment often includes surgical resection of necrotic bone and the resulting oral defect impairs oral functions which requires consultation with a maxillofacial prosthodontist before and after surgery for prosthetic rehabilitation. Therefore, there is an urgent need to improve collaboration among different institutions for better patient care. In this report, we emphasize the benefits of such collaboration during the treatment of a female patient with BRONJ in the right maxilla. This patient had breast cancer and received zoledronic acid therapy for the treatment of metastatic osseous lesions. The successful team-based collaboration allowed early restoration of oral functions after surgery using an immediate surgical obturator as well as after delivery of the definitive prosthesis. (Int J Maxillofac Prosthetics 2023;6:16-19)