Alveolar Osteitis and Osteomyelitis of the Jaws

Postoperative bone healing after oral surgical procedures occurs uneventfully in most cases. However, in certain patients, the normal process of healing can be delayed and, in some cases, often because of multiple coexisting factors, the sites can become infected, with extension of the infection into medullary bone. This process is termed osteomyelitis. This article outlines the pathogenesis, microbiology, and surgical and medical therapies of this condition and specifically addresses osteomyelitis cases related to patients with no documented history of radiation or bisphosphonate exposure and in whom the principal factor in the development of the condition is infection by pyogenic microorganisms.