Do I need a CTX Test before Implant Surgery?

Michele asks:

My dentist wants my 88 yr old mother to get a CTX blood test prior to dental surgery for implants to see if she has damage from years of taking Fosamax. What is this test and is it really problematic to get implants after one has taken Fosamax for so long?

I have the following questions: Does the bone regenerate much quicker than grafting, thus allowing for earlier implantation? Which option is the more expensive? Which option is the more reliable; i.e. the fewer complications and the better base for the implants?

Answered by: Dr. Michael Tischler

Woodstock, NY

Dear Michelle,

The CTX blood test has been debated in the literature and on the podium as to whether it is a valuable marker for problems with Fosamax. While osteonecrosis (decay of the jaw) from patients taking Fosamax and the other bisphosphonate drugs is certainly a concern, the incidences of osteonecrosis are seen more in cancer patients on the IV form.

It sounds like your mother has been on Fosamax for a while. In patients taking Fosamax for longer than 3 years, it has been recommended that patients take a "drug holiday" and stop taking the drug for a time period.

You dentist should talk to your mother's physician about this and determine a solution.

While oral Fosamax is a consideration to dental implant placement, it is not a contraindication.