DEAR DR. GOTT: I was diagnosed with dead bone in my jaw in June 2009. It is actually in the large torus palatinus, on the roof of my mouth. My oral surgeon is convinced it was caused by my taking Actonel or Boniva for osteoporosis for seven years. My family physician wasn’t so convinced the Boniva caused this.
The first step by the oral surgeon was to take me off Boniva. He said we would only watch the exposed bone for six months, that there was a chance the bone would fall out on its own. When he wanted my family physician’s permission to go off the Boniva and I got it, I learned my physician was not so sure about it.
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