How to Diagnose Jaw Osteonecrosis

Jaw osteonecrosis is a serious bone disorder where the bone stops receiving blood flow, causing minerals to leach out and preventing the bone from rebuilding itself. Eventually, it leads to bone death with chronic infections, pain and bone destruction to the point of leaving a hole and creating fissures. There is no cure for this disorder, but if caught early, it can be treated to try to prevent more serious bone loss.

Things You'll Need

• Mirror
• Dental mirror
• X-rays of the jaw bone
• CT Scans of the jaw bone
• Biopsy of the jaw bone
• Intraoral films of the teeth

Instructions

Evaluating Symptoms

1. Educate yourself on the symptoms and causes of this condition so you can receive prompt treatment . Risk factors include injuries, use of bisphosphonates, such as osteoporosis medications like Fosamax, and chemotherapy drugs. Symptoms are bone and gum infections that do not heal, gum loss, exposed bone, swelling inside the mouth, neuralgia-like pain and numbness inside the mouth. If you have taken any of these medications or notice these symptoms, visit a dentist right away. According to lawyerseek.com, the American Association of Endodontists declared at their 2006 annual meeting that all patients taking bisphosphonates are at risk of developing jaw osteonecrosis.

2. Visit your dentist if you notice any jaw pain, loose teeth, drainage from your gums, swollen gums, difficulty chewing or loss of feeling in your mouth . These are some of the symptoms of this serious disorder. A dentist will examine you, conduct testing and refer you to a maxillofacial surgeon for further evaluation so you can start receiving treatment to deal with the bone destruction.

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Anticipating Issues

1. Look out for possible signs of jaw osteonecrosis. Sometimes dental treatment can bring on the bone destruction because of the jaw's impaired healing mechanism. Possible triggers are tooth removal, crown preparation, root canals and oral surgery. Follow up with your dentist if you experience any problems.

2. Have radiological tests done . X-rays will show the variation of calcium salts on your jaw. With this disease, the concentration drops to below 50 percent of the normal level. Intraoral films can show bone changes that are more subtle. Getting a panoramic x-ray of your mouth will help to rule out other problems like cysts and impacted teeth. A CT Scan will show if there is infection associated with bone death.

3. Get a biopsy. A biopsy will show if there is inflammation within the bone, which is another symptom of the bone necrosis. This is a good test if there is a concern about metastasis, trauma and complications.

4. Have a sample taken out for culturing. A culture will help to test for infection associated with the bone decomposing.

References

• Information on bisphosphonates as the cause of jaw osteonecrosis
• Article on jaw osteonecrosis with x-ray photos.
• Comprehensive information on ONJ

Resources

• American Dental Association
• Information on jaw osteonecrosis