Clinical Consultations™: Improving the Coordination of Care Between Dentists, Oral Surgeons, and Osteoporosis Specialists to Reduce the Risk of ONJ

Target Audience
This activity is intended for community endocrinologists, dentists, oral surgeons, rheumatologists, primary care clinicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses and other HCPs involved in the management of osteoporosis and ONJ. This activity will provide education to a broad multidisciplinary team who will be invited to participate.

Activity Overview
Every day, a fracture due to osteoporosis occurs every 3 seconds around the world, with the characteristic fractures at the spine and hip leading to substantial mortality, morbidity, and huge societal costs worldwide. After the age of 50 years, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 5 men will experience a fragility fracture. Therapeutic options for the treatment of osteoporosis, including bisphosphonates and denosumab, are essential to reduce the significant morbidity and mortality associated with the disease. However, osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) is a relatively rare but potentially serious and painful debilitating complication of antiresorptive agents that can considerably affect the quality of life of affected patients. There is a gap in care between dentists and physicians in coordinating the management of their patients with osteoporosis, who need dental review before starting osteoporosis treatments, and their management of patients with ONJ.

This activity is aimed to improve clinicians’ knowledge about the incidence and risk of ONJ associated with antiresorptive therapies, and present guideline-recommended strategies on how to optimize treatment and mitigate the risk for ONJ to improve clinical outcomes for patients affected by this widely prevalent disease. In addition, strategies to coordinate communication among the disciplines caring for at-risk patients will also be reviewed.

Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this activity, you should be better able to:

Recognize and appropriately manage patients at risk for osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ)
Evaluate efficacy and safety of agents for the treatment of patients with osteoporosis and their impact on ONJ risk
Integrate a multidisciplinary approach to the management of patients with osteoporosis