Association between periodontal disease, tooth extraction, and medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw in women receiving bisphosphonates: A national cohort-based study.

BACKGROUND

We investigated whether periodontal diseases contribute to the development of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) in addition to tooth extraction, which is a major risk factor for MRONJ occurrence.

METHODS

This retrospective, nationwide cohort study was performed using South Korea's National Health Insurance Service database on women aged > 50 years who took bisphosphonates for at least 1 year between 2010 and 2015. MRONJ, periodontal disease, and tooth extraction were defined using the claims data.

RESULTS

Among the 27,168 patients analyzed, the incidence of confirmed MRONJ was significantly higher in the periodontal disease group (0.58%) than in the nonperiodontal disease group (0.31%). While extraction alone showed an increased risk of MRONJ development (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.61, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.74-3.52), periodontal disease without tooth extraction also indicated a similar risk (HR = 1.68, 95% CI: 0.86-3.28); when a history of both periodontal disease and tooth extraction was present, the HR significantly increased to 2.55 (95% CI: 1.41-4.64).

CONCLUSIONS

The risk of MRONJ increased significantly when tooth extraction was performed in patients diagnosed with periodontal disease; therefore, periodontal diseases should be proactively managed in patients taking bisphosphonates.