Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge and attitudes of medical physicians who prescribe antiresorptive and antiangiogenic drugs toward medication‐related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ), a devastating complication. Methods: This cross‐sectional study included physicians in the fields of internal medicine, orthopedics and traumatology, rheumatology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, oncology, hematology, and urology working in university hospitals, training and research hospitals, and private health institutions. Participating physicians were asked to answer a survey consisting of 25 questions to determine their knowledge, attitudes, and awareness about MRONJ. Results: Of the physicians participating in the study, 45% were academicians, 30.9% were specialists, and 24.2% were assistant physicians. 30.3% of the participate had never heard of the concept of MRONJ. The specialties most aware of the concept of MRONJ were internal medicine (21.74%), physical medicine and rehabilitation (18.26%), and orthopedics and traumatology (17.39%), respectively. In our study, it was determined that 38.78% of the participants did not receive information on this subject through lectures/presentations/seminars, etc., and 10.8% reported that they were not informed about the side effects of drugs that can cause MRONJ. 37% of the physicians never consulted their patients with a dentist before starting treatment with drugs that can cause MRONJ. Conclusions: The study results showed that physicians who prescribe drugs that can cause MRONJ have low awareness of preventing MRONJ and that their knowledge and sensitivity on this issue should be increased.
Dere et al. (Wed,) studied this question.