Osteoporosis and Dental Work
I have completed 12 Evenity shots with No problems. I will begin Prolia at the end of August. I need a tooth extracted and have an appointment for August 8. The oral surgeon recommended doing it before starting Prolia. Has anyone had a tooth extracted and followed with an implant while on Prolia? I am not sure if I should have the implant.
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Good morning, sebutler
Your preference is sensible, as long as you don't have or develop reflux. It is true that IV bisphosphonates like Reclast are more likely to cause ONJ. Not only do they achieve higher absorption by bypassing the stomach, but they are given in higher doses. One injection of Reclast is thought to be effective for two years. But the risk is remains small. And it is a cumulative risk. If you spend two years building avascular bone, stopping the medication doesn't remove the collection of risky bone. It is thought that the risk is incurred after long use. So now the recommendation is to stop Fosamax after 3 to 5 years. You are in a great starting position because you have spent two years growing the best bone-- Tymlos-bone.
It isn't acutally the bisphosphonate that remains clad to the bone that causes the risk. It is the weakness of the bone caused by a long term cladding of the bone.
"Oral biphosphonates rarely cause osteonecrosis of the jaw. They are less aggressive than intravenous BP, and the osteonecrosis caused by oral BP responds better to treatment. Oral BPs are less liposoluble, limiting their intestinal absorption, resulting in a lower accumulation in the bone.[9]" https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK534771/#:~:text=Epidemiology,Osteoporosis%20and%20Oncology%20Patients
I'm glad for your choice for two other reasons. You are less likely to have the pain and inflammation side effects with a daily pill. And if you do develop those side effects, you can quit the medication.
A priority for me (might be a quirk in my thinking) would be to return to a bone building medication after a brief pause (maybe only months) from Tymlos. To that end and for love of osteoclasts, I would take risedronate. It is less effective and less likely to cause side effects.
Your specialist at Cleveland Clinic knows a lot about your body that I couldn't even guess.
If she does persuade you to take Reclast, bargain for a lower dose at least down to 4mg from 5, and try to get a longer infusion time with dilution of the medication at least 30 minutes.
Everyone should be aware of jaw issues with Prolia and OTHER osteoporosis medications.
I adjusted my 6-month dental checkups to be six weeks before each Prolia injection. So, if there is a problem my dentist can work on it towards the end of the 6 months when it is safer.
Thank you and good luck with your journey! I agree it’s difficult to find someone educated with osteoporosis to help better understand it.
This is an important topic for anyone living with osteoporosis, since most of us will end up using an antiresorptive at some point - whether short or long term. MRONJ (Medication-Related OsteoNecrosis of the Jaw) is rare, but if it happens to you, it's 100% your reality.
Here is a publication by AAOMS (2022, American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons) I'd like to share, which includes MRONJ incidence rates for 3 different osteodrug subclasses - bisphosphonates, Prolia (denosomab) and Evenity (romosozumab). It discussed risk factors, preventative measures and treatments. I think it's a good read for anyone who is into this topic:
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://aaoms.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/mronj_position_paper.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwj09JP74eyOAxWQOjQIHczOJLsQjJEMegQIAhAB&usg=AOvVaw3FJYzfaGrMTFLJzYuTJ8Jo
Personally, bisphosphonates seems a bit easier to manage over time - you can pause or take a holiday if needed. With prolia, especially long-term use, things can get trickier. If MRONJ happens, it can put you in a treatment dilemma - do you stop (which calls for a strong antiresorptive like reclast that isn't exactly MRONJ-friendly), or keep going?
For how long would you have to stop Fosonax in order to have dental work? I heard this drug can cause bad reflux issues?
I hear different numbers -- 5 weeks or more.
Don’t switch to Reclast, same dental issues.
I’m having trouble deciding what to do right now.
You take one medication thinking it will help, but you find out you have more problems that need to be addressed
Good luck!
I am going to ask the endodontist to X-ray my teeth and see if any other teeth look high risk, if so I will get that done when I am at the 6-7 months after last Prolia. That would be Oct-Nov.
I asked ChatGPT for options, recommendations if I quit Prolia. Also recommendations for doctors in Savannah & Jacksonville that focus on osteoporosis. It was an extensive answer and asked me if I also wanted customer reviews on the doctors. I would be willing to travel to states along the eastern U.S. if I can find a practice that is highly regarded.
I go to Mayo in Jacksonville for another health issue. There are a couple of doctors there, but it is very difficult to get an appointment in a different department. I’ve had a couple of friends who recently tried to make an appointment and were told not taking new patients at this time.
I read these stories with great interest..haven’t yet been diagnosed, but hear mostly bad things about meds…am researching and reading on connectMayo to learn more before the possibility of OP… some docs say exercise is key, some people recommend vegetable based calcium… it is all confusing…any clarity on the subject helps..l thank you all for your stories, which docs don’t want us to hear, but I will keep at this to be well-educated on this tricky subject.
I was also wondering about weight gain regarding any of the rebound-after-prolia drugs and the dreaded hair loss propensity? I cancelled my Reclast appt and will take Prolia for 6 months to make a decision between transitioning to Relax vs any of the others in its class, also to see which one has the least "holiday" from it you need to take, in case of dental work.