In the past few years within our clinical services of Maxillofacial Surgery and within our private consultations we have seen the appearance of a new previously inexistent pathology: the bone necrosis of the maxillary bones due to the preventative use and often the abuse of bisphosphonates.

It is believed that for a maxillary osteonecrosis to appear, 3 to 5 years should have passed since commencing the treatment. There are no extensive series of publications of prevalence, but it is estimated that the osteonecrosis can affect around 5% of the patients who take them orally and can reach up to 20% of the cases of necrosis in oncology patients who have received high doses intravenously.

Bone necrosis caused by bisphosphonates is a difficult problem to solve and can, in the worst case scenario, provoke ample necrosis of the maxillary bones.