Oral bisphosphonates do not increase the risk of osteonecrosis of the jaw, according to a data presented at the 89th General Session and Exhibition of the International Association for Dental Research. The findings were based on a combined retrospective and prospective study that analyzed data from a database of millions of patients and studied hundreds of patients in controlled clinical trials, none of which found an increased risk of osteonecrosis with oral bisphosphonates. However, the study found a six-fold increased risk of osteonecrosis of the jaw in patients who used intravenous bisphosphonates. Many other studies have found a strong correlation between intravenous bisphosphonates and osteonecrosis, but whether oral bisphosphonates carry the same risk is controversial, and the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons recommends that certain patients should be considered off oral bisphosphonates prior to oral surgery. To obtain prospective data, three randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials involving a total of 516 patients were conducted. All of these patients had been taking oral bisphosphonates (alendronate or risedronate) for several years, and of these patients, 386 had periodontitis and 130 required oral implants. These patients were examined every 3 months for signs of osteonecrosis of the jaw. As a result, no 1 patient progressed to osteonecrosis of the jaw, regardless of whether they received oral bisphosphonates or placebo.