Practice of oral and maxillofacial surgeons in bisphosphonates users in Tehran: brief report

Background: Although the treatment of bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ) is very difficult, it can be prevented. The aim of this study was to investigate the knowledge and practice of oral and maxillofacial surgeons in the treatment of bisphosphonates user patients. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study carried out by census sampling of oral and maxillofacial surgeons in Tehran, Iran from March to June 2016. The employed instrument was a questionnaire including 4 sections. The first section was to collect the demographic information of the participants. In the second part including 7 questions, the knowledge of the participants was measured. The third section with 6 questions was to assess the participants’ practice in the treatment of patients using bisphosphates. Finally, the last sections contained 4 questions. The content validity of the questionnaire was evaluated by 5 specialists in the field (two oral and maxillofacial surgeons, two periodontists, and one endodontist). To assess the reliability of the questionnaire, it was given twice with a 10-day interval to 10 of target group members. The calculation of Spearman-Brown formula revealed a correlation coefficient of 0.79. Results: In the treatment of BRONJ, most subjects responded to risk, 1 and 2 stages patient education and symptom relief. Treatment with antibiotics and debridement surgery was chosen for patients with higher stages. From 123 oral and maxillofacial surgeons, 102 answered the questionnaires. 77.2% of the surgeons answered correctly to questions about implant insertion. This percentage was higher than other therapeutic procedures. Conclusion: The knowledge of oral and maxillofacial surgeons as final line of referral and treatment of patients using bisphosphonates should be increased.