Bisphosphonates and oral health: primer and an update for the practicing surgeon.

Oral and intravenous bisphosphonates have been in clinical use for two decades for the treatment of patients with malignancy, osteoporosis, and other diseases affecting bone metabolism. The purpose of this article is to review the features of these drugs, their effect on the diseases they treat, the oral findings associated with their use, and the assessment of osteonecrosis incidence, pathophysiology, with some insights into treatment.