Hello All
I’ve been on Bondodrat for the past 3 years now and have recently been to see a dentist (long overdue appointment) who is going to be checking with my onc. about 2 extractions that need doing…
I’ve heard mixed things about having extractions with bony mets - can anyone give me any advice or tell me of their experiences?
Thanks xx
Hi Poannie
As if we didn’t have to deal with enough!
I have been on bisphos for 2 and a half years, firstly Pamidronate and for the past 18 months on Bondonat and had a tooth taken out earlier this year. My dentist referred me to the dental unit at our local hospital and I saw the ‘main man’. Part of his job is to chart any cases of necrosis of the jaw and he said he had never sen one - which helped reassure me. The extraction went OK and no problems. I wasn’t given antibiotics as that doesn’t seem the norm now, just told to rinse with salt water etc. He did say antibiotics wouldn’t help in any way with the necrosis problem as that is to do with the bone not the gum. I did have a bit of a scare afterwards when I could feel some roughness in the gum, my own dentist took an Xray and thought it was bone. Yikes! However this week I have been back to the hospital dentist who said, Oh it’s a bit of tooth splinter, and pulled it out then and there. He also said that he doubted if any dentist had ever seen a case of necrosis.
Hope this helps
Nicky x
Hi Poannie
I am on Zometa and this is an issue that worries me too, although I haven’t needed any dental work yet. I had a long chat with my dentist about it at my last check up, and he was reassuring that cases of necrosis are very rare, but he also said if I needed any work I could have it done by a specialist at Guy’s. I do think it would be worth getting a referral to an expert just to be on the safe side. Hope it all goes well.
finty x
I do know a couple of women with jaw necrosis. I’ve not had any extractions but those I know who have normally have a break in bisphosphonates before and after the extraction.
Take care J…dentists, teeth, another thing you can do without! 
xxx
Hi Belinda
I wonder if you know whether the women with necrosis were on IV or tablet bisph’s? The advice seems to be that the risk is higher with IV, but then people tend to be on the tablets longer so maybe it evens out. And I guess as they are relatively new drugs it is a bit of a ticking time bomb anyway. As you say - another thing we can do without - that word necrosis is just so scary!
fintyx
Hi Finty, yes I think it must even out and it was Zometa (but I don’t want to put off any Zometa users, it’s a fabulous, effective bisphosphonate. I would take it but I have rubbish veins.) I think, from bits and pieces I’ve read that there are more women getting necrosis now because we are outliving our stats and having various bisphosphonates for many years in some cases. I keep taking the tablets as my bones have dramatically improved, after 8 years of bone mets, a very recent scan shows lots of healed areas. And if it helps against spinal cord compression, fractures…etc etc…
Belinda…x
Thanks Belinda, I’m quite pleased to hear that. Although I am on Zometa at the moment, I will switch to tablets in Feb when my 1 year of funding for Zometa runs out. So just need to hold on for a few more months. I don’t know whether I have been sold a story or not, but my onc said she likes people to start with Zometa to stabilise things, but long term the tabs are just as good, perhaps better considering the se’s. Glad to hear the tabs have done such a good job for you.
I think the drugs are also used extensively for people with osteoporosis - so I’m wondering if they are more prone to necrosis and perhaps skewing the stats a little? Anyway, nothing we can do about it other than to be vigilant.
finty x