Managing the care of patients with bisphosphonate-associated osteonecrosis: an American Academy of Oral Medicine position paper

BACKGROUND: This position paper addresses the prevention of bisphosphonate-associated osteonecrosis (BON) and the management of care of patients with cancer and/or osteoporosis who are receiving bisphosphonates and who have BON or are at risk of developing it. METHODS: The authors reviewed the literature available on this newly described oral complication. Information of interest included bisphosphonates, the medications associated with this oral complication; the patient population at risk of developing BON and the diseases being treated with this class of medications; the clinical presentation of the oral lesions; guidelines for managing the care of patients who develop BON; the prevention of this complication based on current knowledge; and recommendations for routine dental treatment of patients receiving bisphosphonates. RESULTS: There is strong evidence that bisphosphonate therapy is the common link in patients with BON. The pathobiological mechanism leading to BON may have to do with the inhibition of bone remodeling and decreased intraosseous blood flow caused by bisphosphonates. People at risk include patients with multiple myeloma and patients with cancer metastatic to bone who are receiving intravenous bisphosphonates, as well as patients taking bisphosphonates for osteoporosis. The risk of developing complications appears to increase with time of use of the medication. There are no guidelines based on evidence, and the clinical management of the oral complication is based on expert opinion. CONCLUSION: Prevention of BON is the best approach to management of this complication. Existing protocols to manage the care of patients who will receive radiation therapy or chemotherapy may be used until specific guidelines for BON are developed.     

Efficacy of oral midazolam prior to intravenous sedation for the removal of third molars.

The combination of oral and intravenous sedation has not been well investigated and this study examined the combination's effect on amnesia, anxiety, cardiovascular stability and recovery in a double blind, cross-over, placebo controlled trial. Patients were given 7.5 mg oral midazolam or placebo 1 h prior to intravenous midazolam and surgery. This investigation demonstrated significant anxiolysis, amnesia and patient preference for oral midazolam compared to placebo. There was no significant effect on cardiovascular stability, the intravenous dose of midazolam used or post-operative recovery. Low dose oral midazolam prior to intravenous sedation may be beneficial in very anxious patients, particularly if surgery is delayed.     

Balancing efficacy and safety in the use of oral sedation in dental outpatients

BACKGROUND: Concerns about the safety of pediatric oral sedation and the incremental use of triazolam in adults prompted a workshop cosponsored by several professional organizations. OVERVIEW: There is a strong need and demand for adult and pediatric sedation services. Using oral medication to achieve anxiolysis in adults appears to have a wide margin of safety. Mortality and serious morbidity, however, have been reported with oral conscious sedation, especially in young children. Most serious adverse events are related to potentially avoidable respiratory complications. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical trials are needed to evaluate oral sedative drugs and combinations, as well as to develop discharge criteria with objective quantifiable measures of home readiness. Courses devoted to airway management should be developed for dentists who provide conscious sedation services. State regulation of enteral administration of sedatives to achieve conscious sedation is needed to ensure safety. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Safety in outpatient sedation is of paramount concern, with enteral administration of benzodiazepines appearing safe but poorly documented in the office setting. Conscious sedation by the enteral route, including incremental triazolam, necessitates careful patient evaluation, monitoring, documentation, facilities, equipment and personnel as described in American Dental Association and American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry guidelines.     

Understanding the patient with epilepsy and seizures in the dental practice

Epilepsy, which is characterized by the risk of recurrent seizures, is a chronic disease that afflicts about 200,000 Canadians at any one time. Dentists with a thorough knowledge of seizure disorders and the medications used to treat them can provide necessary dental and oral health care to these patients. In this review, we summarize current knowledge of epilepsy, seizures and antiepileptic drugs and provide information on dental-related issues, as well as guidelines for the management of an acute seizure in the dental office.     

Maximum cumulative doses of sedation medications for in-office use

The AGD acknowledges that dentists may need an additional permit to perform the procedure described in this article. Many states require dental practitioners to have additional or advanced training in order to perform enteral sedation. In some states, practitioners must have an i.v./conscious sedation permit before they are allowed to titrate (dose) oral medication. The ADA does not believe that oral medication can be titrated (dosed) without an i.v. sedation license. The AGD has adopted and published a white paper on sedation issues, which appeared in the September-October 2006 issue of General Dentistry. The AGD encourages continuing education in sedation modalities for general dentists. Oral conscious sedation (OCS) is an increasingly common practice in dentistry and is at the forefront of evolving state regulations. At the center of the OCS controversy is the oral titration of medications. Most medications available for OCS are used in an "off-label" manner and have no determined maximum recommended dosage for that purpose. This article proposes cumulative maximum dosing guidelines for in-office OCS, with an emphasis on triazolam.     

Overdose, adverse effects, and safety of oral medications

Overdose of oral medications can be a major concern. This article reviews the clinical presentations, toxic dosages, adverse effects, and the recommended treatments for the most commonly used oral medications in dentistry. Clinicians need to be aware of the toxicities and adverse effects of the most commonly used oral medications, and recognize the signs and symptoms as early as possible for expedient treatment and referral.     

Managing oral health related nutrition issues of high risk infants and children

Dental professionals are in an ideal position to recognize children at high nutritional and oral health risk and provide early intervention. Some of the children at highest risk for nutritional and oral health problems include those born prematurely, children with failure to thrive, those on multiple medications, special needs children with developmental delays, children with gastroesophageal reflux, and those with lactose intolerance. Nutrition and oral health guidelines are provided to aid the dental practitioner in providing preventive nutrition intervention to these high risk children.     

Comparison of oral ketamine and oral midazolam as sedative agents in pediatric dentistry

The safe and effective treatment of uncooperative or combative preschool children with extensive dental needs is one of pediatric dentist's ongoing challenges. The traditional methods of behavior management are no longer acceptable to parents as they are not ready to spare more time for dental treatment of their children. Keeping this in mind, the present study was designed and carried out to evaluate the sedative effects of oral ketamine and oral midazolam prior to general anesthesia. Twenty uncooperative children in the age-group of 2-6 years were selected after thorough medical examination and investigations. Informed consent was obtained from the parent. This was a randomized double-blind study. An anesthesiologist administered either 0.5 mg/kg midazolam or 5 mg/kg ketamine orally. The heart rate, respiratory rate, and oxygen saturation were recorded at regular intervals. The sedation and anxiolysis scores were also recorded. The parents were asked to answer a questionnaire at the follow-up session the next day on the surgical experience of the parent and the child and side effects experienced, if any. When the data was subjected to statistical analysis, it was observed that both drugs resulted in adequate sedation at the end of 30 min, with oral midazolam providing significantly better anxiolysis. The heart rate and respiratory rate were marginally higher with oral ketamine. The questionnaire revealed a better response with oral midazolam; side effects were more prominent with oral ketamine.     

A systematic review of the management of oral candidiasis associated with HIV/AIDS.

The purpose of this review was to investigate the management of oral candidiasis in HIV/AIDS patients and to evaluate the different guidelines available for its management. A number of topical and systemic antifungal medications are used to treat oral candidiasis in HIV-positive patients. Milder episodes of oral candidiasis respond to topical therapy with nystatin, clotrimazole troches or oral ketoconazole. Fluconazole has been extensively evaluated as a treatment for candidiasis. With HIV-infection, a cure rate of 82% has been achieved with a daily oral dose of 50 mg. Fluconazole was found to be a better choice of treatment for relapsing oropharyngeal candidiasis, resulting in either better cure rates or better prevention of relapse. Intravenous amphotericin B has been found to be effective in azole-refractory candidiasis and is well tolerated. Topical therapies are effective for uncomplicated oropharyngeal candidiasis; however, patients relapsed more quickly than those treated with oral systemic antifungal therapy. Nystatin appeared less effective than clotrimazole and the azoles in the treatment of oropharyngeal candidiasis. Clotrimazole was found to be just as effective for resolution of clinical symptoms as the azoles, except when patient compliance was poor. Fluconazole-treated patients were more likely to remain disease-free during the fluconazole follow-up period than those treated with other antifungal agents.     

Prosthodontic treatment during active osteonecrosis related to radiation and bisphosphonate therapy: a clinical report

Osteonecrosis of the jaws following the use of bisphosphonate drugs has been reported in the literature. Presently, there is limited evidence to establish guidelines for the prosthodontic management of patients with active osteonecrosis, a history of osteonecrosis, or medical history of using these medications. This clinical report reviews the current literature regarding bisphosphonate use, and reports the prosthodontic treatment of an edentulous patient with active osteonecrosis who had a history of oral bisphosphonate use and jaw irradiation.     

Factor V Leiden--dental patient management for a rare bleeding disorder: a case report

In today's complex healthcare environment, there is an increasing incidence of patients with serious medical issues who may present for dental care. Excessive post-operative bleeding is always a concern of the dentist. It is essential that the contemporary oral healthcare provider be familiar with: 1. The basics of bleeding and coagulation; 2. the medications that can affect these processes; 3. published guidelines which provide the framework for patient evaluation and management; and 4. adjunctive procedures necessary to control post-treatment bleeding.     

Tape recorded hypnosis in oral and maxillofacial surgery--basics and first clinical experience.

BACKGROUND: Surgical treatment of diseases of the oral and maxillofacial region under local anaesthesia is quite commonly restricted by limited patient compliance. 'Medical Hypnosis' could be an alternative to treatment under pharmacological sedation. With this method, both autosuggestive and other suggestive procedures are used for anxiolysis, relaxation, sedation and analgesia of the patient. The purpose of this paper was to see whether there could be any potential for this treatment when operating on oral and maxillofacial patients. METHODS: During a 1-year-trial period, 209 operations under combined local anaesthesia/medical hypnosis were carried out on 174 non-preselected patients between the ages of 13 and 87 years. The surgical range covered oral, plastic and reconstructive, oncological, septic and trauma operations. RESULTS: Medical hypnosis turned out to be a reliable and standardizable method with high patient compliance. Remarkable improvements in treatment conditions for both patient and surgeons were achieved in 93% of cases. CONCLUSION: Controlled clinical studies are now necessary to obtain objective data on the effectiveness of hypnosis-induced intraoperative effects in oral and maxillofacial surgery.     

Office-based anesthesia

The practice of office-based oral and maxillofacial surgery is continuously expanding and involves the management of a diverse population in regards to the surgical procedures performed within the office and the age and medical health of the patients treated within the office. Comfort, cooperation, and hemodynamic stability are critical to satisfactorily accomplishing the surgical procedure. Various anesthetic techniques are used, including local anesthesia, anxiolysis, analgesia and sedation, and general anesthesia. The topic is vast and too extensive to be fully discussed in this article. The intent of this article is to provide a discussion of some fundamental concepts that can optimize anesthetic safety and care.     

Systemic diseases and their treatments in the elderly: impact on oral health

The lifespan of the US population is increasing, with the elderly desiring successful aging. This goal is jeopardized as multiple systemic conditions and their treatments become more prevalent with age, causing impaired systemic and oral health and influencing an older person's quality of life. To obtain successful aging, a compression of morbidity must be obtained through prevention and management of disease. This paper describes the most common systemic diseases causing morbidity and mortality in persons aged 65+ years: diseases of the heart, malignant neoplasms, cerebrovascular diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pneumonia, influenza, diabetes mellitus, trauma, Alzheimer's disease, renal diseases, septicemia, and liver diseases. Disease prevalence and the impact of medications and other therapeutic measures used to treat these conditions are discussed. Oral sequelae are reviewed with guidelines for early detection of these deleterious consequences, considerations for oral treatment, and patient management. An understanding of the impact of systemic diseases and treatment on oral health is imperative for dental practitioners to appropriately treat and manage older patients with these conditions. With a focus on early detection and prevention, oral health care providers can improve the quality of life of this population and aid in the attainment of successful aging.     

Risk Management Strategies for Reducing Oral Adverse Drug Events

Oral adverse drug effects negatively impact oral health, comfort and function.BackgroundPatients treated in the oral health care environment take multiple medications, many of which cause oral complications. Dental professionals are challenged with making recommendations to prevent or minimize drug-induced oral disease risks, while reducing symptoms to improve oral health quality of life.MethodsThis paper presents a critical analysis of current evidence regarding common oral adverse drug events, and reviews existing clinical practice guidelines based upon findings from published systematic reviews.ResultsThere is a lack of sufficient, high quality evidence to support most recommendations for interventions to relieve signs and symptoms of drug-induced oral adverse events. Existing recommendations are largely based on data obtained from observational studies and case reports, and from randomized controlled clinical trials with significant design flaws and potential reporting bias. Outcome measures, especially those related to symptom relief and long-range benefits, are either insufficient or lacking.ConclusionsOral adverse drug effects are a common problem, and additional data is needed to support best practices for product recommendations to improve oral health in medicated patients.     

Clonidine as a preoperative sedative

The purpose of this study was to ­examine the use of oral clonidine as a preoperative sedative prior to parenteral moderate sedation. Initially, four patients were given 0.2 mg oral clonidine but reduced to 0.1 mg clonidine due to ­significant drops in blood pressure. Oral clonidine doses of 0.1 mg were then given to 19 patients preoperatively. In all these patients, blood pressure measurements decreased, but there were no significant differences in amounts of sedative agents needed in the clonidine group and the control group (N = 80). The conclusions reached suggest that clonidine has an advantage over other preoperative sedation agents in anxious patients exhibiting hypertension and tachycardia. However, the preop ideal dose required to reduce the amount of sedative drugs used as well as provide anxiolysis remains unknown. In further studies, different doses should be explored to determine what dosage of clonidine may offer hemodynamic protection as well as decrease sedative drugs needed.     

Sugar load of oral liquid medications on chronically ill children

Children with congenital disorders or chronic illnesses receive additional sugar from oral liquid medications. The purpose of this study was to determine the history of oral liquid medication usage and the incidence of dental caries from birth until about 36 months of age in a population of 20 such children. A pattern appeared in the frequency and dispensing characteristics of the 44 different drugs used for these children. Parents gave daily doses of syrupy medications and elixirs 3-4 times a day and at least two of these doses were given just before or during a designated nap or bedtime. Parental concerns for the more serious medical condition naturally overrode the consideration of sound dental hygiene practices. In this study, diseased, extracted and filled primary teeth def(t) were recorded and the medicinal sugar load at the time of examination was calculated as well as the cumulative medicinal sugar load from birth. Average age on examination was 31 months and the median number of def(t) was eight. The mean total amount of additional sugar from oral liquid medications was 8,696 g and the maximum sugar consumed by one child was over 20 kg. Physicians currently have no choice but to prescribe certain medications that contain 30 to 70 per cent sugar for patients who are already at higher than usual risk for dental caries due to chronic illness.     

口腔及口咽癌新版TNM分期与NCCN诊治指南部分解读

美国癌症联合委员会《AJCC肿瘤分期手册》与美国国立综合癌症网(NCCN）肿瘤学临床实践指南已广泛用于临床实践中。NCCN肿瘤诊治指南与TNM分期密切相关,指南为不同TNM分期的肿瘤制定了较为详细的诊治标准,作为依据指导临床应用。2017年第8版口腔及口咽癌TNM分期新增了较多内容,如侵袭深度（DOI）、淋巴结外扩展（ENE）、人乳头瘤病毒（HPV）等指标用于了新的分期中,并且为HPV相关的口咽癌制定了一个新的TNM分期。2018年版NCCN口腔与口咽癌指南及时反映了第8版口腔及口咽癌TNM分期中新的变化,同时亦为HPV相关的口咽癌制定了相应的诊治指南。新的TNM分期及NCCN诊治指南对口腔与口咽癌患者诊疗策略的制定及治疗方案的选择具有较大的指导意义。为了临床工作的需要,本文结合两者的变化进行了部分解读。