Oral Health Management of Patients Prescribed Bisphosphonates
In April 2011 the Scottish Dental Clinical Effectiveness Programme (SDCEP) published the guidance Oral Health Management of Patients Prescribed Bisphosphonates. This guidance was developed to reduce uncertainty about whether a patient on bisphosphonates should receive dental treatment in primary care, so as to reduce the risk of Bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ).
Following the TRiaDS framework, a study was conducted to examine whether dentists’ practice and beliefs changed following publication of the guidance and to determine whether a knowledge translation intervention was required. Three postal surveys were conducted using three independent random samples of dentists through Scotland both pre- and post-guidance publication. These surveys were conducted in February 2011, February 2012 and February 2013.
The full results of this study have been published in the British Dental Journal [1].
Guidance superseded April 2017
Oral Health Management of Patients Prescribed Bisphosphonates is superseded by Oral Health Management of Patients at Risk of Medication-related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw, published March 2017.
Publications and presentations
- Bonetti, D.L., Clarkson, J.E., Elouafkaoui, P., Stirling, D.A., Young, L., Templeton, A.R. Managing patients on bisphosphonates: The practice of primary care dentists before and after the publication of guidance. British Dental Journal 217, E25 (2014)