Bisphosphonate Effects on the Behavior of Oral Epithelial Cells and Oral Fibroblasts.

Objective: Bisphosphonates (BPs) like Zometa (ZA) are widely used to treat complications of bony metastases in cancer patients. A serious adverse event occurs in 1-12% of patients on BP therapy,osteonecrosis of the jaw (BPONJ). BPONJ develops after oral trauma and is manifested by poor wound healing and soft-tissue breakdown followed by exposure and necrosis of intra-oral bone. Currently,there is no effective clinical treatment for BPONJ.