Knowledge, Practices and Opinions of Ontario Dentists when Treating Patients Receiving Bisphosphonates

• Main Author: Alhussain, Ahmed
• Other Authors: Azarpazhooh, Amir
• Language: en_ca
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: Bisphosphonates; Knowledge; Ontario Dentists; 0567
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1807/42668

Background: Bisphosphonate related osteonecrosis of the jaws (BRONJ) is a severe but extremely rare complication of prolonged treatment with bisphosphonates. Improper treatment or misdiagnosis can have serious repercussions. Objective: is to measure the awareness of Ontario dentists about BRONJ and to identify any gaps in their knowledge of the condition and its treatment. Material and Methods: A survey was sent to a random sample of dentists in Ontario, Canada. Information about their awareness of bisphosphonates, and their awareness of an established BRONJ guideline was collected. Results: 60% of responding Ontario dentists had good knowledge of BRONJ, only 23% followed the guideline when surgical treatment was indicated. However, about 50% of responding Ontario dentists are not comfortable treating BRONJ patients. Conclusion: The finding reveals that Ontario dentists have moderate knowledge about BRONJ, which suggest greater educational efforts should be made to promote their knowledge.