Delayed wound healing after tooth extraction and self-reported kyphosis in Japanese men and women

Jaw osteoporosis: Challenges to oral health and emerging perspectives of treatment

Osteoporosis is a prevalent bone metabolic disease that poses a significant challenge to global human health. Jaw osteoporosis, characterized by microstructural damage of the jaw resulting from various factors, is one of the common manifestations of this condition. Recent studies have demonstrated that jaw osteoporosis has multifaceted effects on oral health and can negatively impact conditions such as periodontitis, oral implantation, orthodontic treatment, and wound healing. However, there are still some limitations in the conventional treatment of osteoporosis. For instance, while bisphosphonates can enhance bone quality, they may also lead to osteonecrosis of the jaw, which poses a potential safety hazard in oral diagnosis and treatment. In recent years, considerable attention has been focused on improving the pathological condition of jaw osteoporosis. Treatment strategies such as gut microbial regulation, extracellular vesicles, molecular targeted therapy, herbal medicine, mechanical stimulation are expected to enhance efficacy and minimize adverse reactions. Therefore, understanding these effects and exploring novel treatments for jaw osteoporosis may provide new insights for oral health maintenance and disease treatment. This article reviews the impact of jaw osteoporosis on oral health and describes the limitations associated with current methods. It also discusses emerging perspectives on treatment, offering a comprehensive overview of the challenges and future directions in managing jaw osteoporosis.

Reliability of early stage symptoms/clinical findings of osteonecrosis of the jaw: Japanese Osteoporosis Intervention Trial-05 (JOINT-05)

INTRODUCTION

To investigate the differences in the incidence rates of suspected stage 0/1 osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) and incidence risk of relevant clinical findings of suspected stage 0 ONJ between patients treated with sequential therapy comprising weekly teriparatide for 72 weeks followed by alendronate for 48 weeks vs. those who received monotherapy with alendronate for 120 weeks.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Suspected stage 0/1 ONJ was defined by non-specific symptoms. Tooth mobility and periodontal symptoms (gingival bleeding, swelling, and/or pain) were selected as clinical findings of suspected stage 0 ONJ. Poisson regression models were applied to calculate the incidence rate ratios of suspected stage 0/1 between the teriparatide group (TG) and alendronate group (AG). Generalized linear models were used to calculate the risk ratios of clinical findings between groups.

RESULTS

Two hundred and sixty-one participants in the TG and 344 in the AG answered a structured questionnaire on oral health and were included in this study. There were no significant differences between the groups in the incidence rate of suspected stage 0/1 ONJ at both 72 and 120 weeks. The risk ratio of the TG to AG for tooth mobility was 0.34 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.13-0.88, p = 0.02) at 72 weeks and 0.90 (95% CI 0.40-2.03, p = 0.83) at 120 weeks. The incidence rate of tooth mobility related to periodontal symptoms decreased in the TG and increased in the AG during the study.

CONCLUSION

Tooth mobility accompanied by clinical periodontal symptoms may be a useful early sign of stage 0 ONJ.

Fragility fractures and delayed wound healing after tooth extraction in Japanese older adults

INTRODUCTION

Fragility fractures can cause delayed wound healing after tooth extraction, which contributes to an increased risk of osteomyelitis of the jaw. We evaluated whether a history of fragility fracture was associated with increased risk of delayed wound healing after tooth extraction in older adults in Japan.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Of 5352 people aged 50-89 years in the 2014 basic resident registry of the town of Obuse, the present study included 376 subjects (190 men and 186 women) who completed a structured questionnaire and measurement of the bone mineral densities (BMDs) of the bilateral femoral neck. Delayed wound healing after tooth extraction was self-reported. Fragility fractures were confirmed via examination of hospital medical records. Logistic regression analyses adjusted for age and gender were used to evaluate association of clinical variables with delayed would healing after tooth extractions. Odds ratios (ORs) and the 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of all possible associated variables for the presence of delayed wound healing were calculated.

RESULTS

Subjects with a history of fragility fractures had a significantly higher risk of delayed wound healing compared with those without previous fragility fractures (OR 2.68; 95% CI 1.11-6.46, p = 0.028). This association still remained after adjusted for all other variables (OR 2.70; 95% CI 1.10-6.60, p = 0.030). Delayed wound healing was not significantly associated with the BMD of the femoral neck.

CONCLUSIONS

History of fragility fracture may be associated with increased risk of delayed wound healing after tooth extraction in Japanese men and women aged 50-89 years.

Long waiting time before tooth extraction may increase delayed wound healing in elderly Japanese

In osteoporosis patients receiving antiresorptive medications, stopping the drug and delaying tooth extraction has been suggested to reduce the risk of osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ). However, postponing tooth extraction for ≥ 2 months was associated with an increased risk of delayed wound healing beyond 8 weeks after extraction, a risk factor for developing ONJ.

INTRODUCTION

A long waiting time before tooth extraction could result from concern about a potential increased risk of osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) in osteoporosis patients. We clarified whether a long waiting time before tooth extraction during the past year may be associated with an increased risk of delayed wound healing beyond 8 weeks after tooth extraction, which may be a risk factor of ONJ.

METHODS

Of 5639 patients aged ≥ 60 years who visited our 20 clinics or hospitals and answered a structured questionnaire, 426 patients (151 men, 275 women) aged 60-96 years comprised the final participants in this study. Self-reported kyphosis was used as a surrogate marker of vertebral fractures. Stepwise logistic regression analysis, adjusted for covariates, was used to calculate the odds ratio (OR) and the 95% confidence interval (CI) for the presence of delayed wound healing longer than 8 weeks after tooth extraction during the past year based on the duration before extraction.

RESULTS

Subjects who had waited > 2 months for tooth extraction had a significantly higher risk of delayed wound healing compared with those whose tooth was extracted within 1 month (OR = 7.23; 95% CI = 2.19-23.85, p = 0.001) regardless if antiresorptive medications for osteoporosis were used. The presence of self-reported kyphosis was significantly associated with an increased risk of delayed wound healing (OR = 5.08; 95% CI = 1.11-23.32, p = 0.036).

CONCLUSIONS

A long waiting time before tooth extraction may be a risk factor for delayed wound healing beyond 8 weeks after extraction in patients aged ≥ 60 years.

Antiresorptive agent-related osteonecrosis of the jaw in osteoporosis patients from Asian countries

Bisphosphonate (BP)-associated osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) was first reported in oncology patients in 2003 and subsequently in osteoporosis patients in 2004. Since oral surgical procedures, such as tooth extraction, are also considered one of the major risk factors for ONJ, there is confusion among physicians, dentists, and patients—particularly osteoporosis patients currently taking BPs—regarding the safety of remaining on therapy surrounding these procedures. Many papers about BP-related ONJ (BRONJ) have been published to date. In addition to BRONJ, recent studies have reported an association between ONJ and the antiresorptive therapy denosumab (Dmab; a RANKL-inhibitor). BRONJ and Dmab-related ONJ are together referred to as antiresorptive agent-related ONJ (ARONJ). The pathogenesis of ARONJ still remains unknown. It is forecasted that there will be an increased incidence of patients with osteoporotic fractures and an increased number of prescriptions for antiresorptive agents in Asia in the future. However, prescriptions for antiresorptives for osteoporosis may be restricted in the Asian population as the occurrence of ARONJ may be higher as compared with those in other countries. In this review, we focused on the following topics as it pertains to the Asian osteoporotic population: the oral condition specific for osteoporosis patients; definition, staging, prevalence and incidence of ARONJ; imaging modalities for ARONJ; specific risk factors for ARONJ; prevention strategies for ARONJ, and; cooperation between physicians and dentists in the prevention of ARONJ. Ideally, the Asian Federation of Osteoporosis Societies would cooperate with one another and find more population-specific evidence for the prevention of ARONJ.