Oral surgeons have described ONJ as a condition in which the bone tissue fails to heal (osteo/bone and necrosis/death) after dental trauma, including tooth extractions, oral surgery and other common dental procedures.ONJ can cause chronic pain, dysfunction and disfigurement. Though current treatments involve long-term antibiotics therapy and surgical removal of the dead bone, there is no known effective remedy. Symptoms of “dead jaw” include irregular sores with exposed bone, pain or swelling in the infected jaw, infection (possibly with pus) and altered sensation (numbness).The highest risk factors for ONJ are:

1) taking bisphosphonates, especially in IV form


2) traumatic dental procedure, such as tooth extraction or dental implants, while taking bisphosphates


3) concurrent use of steroids


4) previous history of cancer, osteoprorsis or Paget’s disease