Bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaws and its relevance to children--a review.

Bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaws (BRONJ) has been detailed extensively in adults, but to date, there have been no similar cases in children. Members of the dental team may treat children prescribed bisphosphonate therapy often for management of osteogenesis imperfecta (OI). There is uncertainty as to how best treat this patient group. This review explores the background of bisphosphonates, indications for their prescription in children, adverse effects with special emphasis on BRONJ, and protocols available to guide dental management.

Severe periodontal destruction in alpha-mannosidosis: a case series.

Alpha-mannosidosis is a rare genetic lysosomal storage disorder that is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern. Severe periodontal breakdown in alpha-mannosidosis patients has not previously been reported in the literature. The purposes of this paper are to: present the cases of 2 siblings diagnosed with alpha-mannosidosis, each of whom had varying severity of periodontal destruction; and provide an overview of alpha-mannosidosis, the possible reasons for the periodontal destruction, and the periodontal management in the 2 affected siblings. Both had preventive and nonsurgical periodontal therapy followed by a 5-year period of supportive therapy. Their pattern of bone loss was consistent with those with periodontitis as a manifestation of systemic diseases, with the extent of periodontal destruction being related to the severity of the alpha-mannosidosis. Alpha-mannosidosis patients present with social disfigurements and, to prevent tooth loss that can add to this, early periodontal diagnosis is important to optimize management and intervention.