So what is osteonecrosis of the jaw? - Well, this is what I found out - it is a medical condition that cause the death of jaw bone tissue and known as "dead jaw" and "fossy jaw". And people who have been taking the osteoporosis medication - Fosamax - may have this problem because it has been linked to this. Parker & Waichman, LLP, with offices in NY and NJ, has been contacted by 100's of Fosamax victims and they plan to file suit regarding this. And since they are the leaders in defective pharmaceutical litigation - I'm banking on them coming out successfully in this matter. They have also respresents clients who have had problems with Vioxx, Bextra, Zyprexa, Ketek, ReNu with MoistureLoc, Guidant Defibrillators and many other defective drugs and medical products.
Merck are the manufacturors and thay had sales of $3.2 billion just in 2005. Thaat is over 22 million prescriptions in the U.S alone, according to IMS Health. Apparently this drug blocks the normal reproduction of bone cells. Symptoms include: pain, swelling, gum infections, drainage, jaw infections, loose teeth, jaw numbness, and exposed bone.
The American Dental Association recommends to notify your doctor or dentist right away if these symptoms arise. They also recomment in telling your dentist if you are taking bisphosphonate medications before any dental work is performed.