Aim The purpose of the study was to analyze the knowledge of dentists in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, about bisphosphonates and their clinical implications. Methods A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted with a convenience sample of dentists in Belo Horizonte, in a period of 8 weeks. The questionnaire was self-applied and was structured with 10 items about the dentists’ demographic characteristics, professional profile, and knowledge about bisphosphonates. Associations in the data were analyzed by with the Fischer’s exact test with a significance level of 5%. Results Of the 214 participating dentists, 163 (76.17%) were women, and 51 (23.83%) were men, with age ranged for 21 to 73 years (mean of 30 years) and mean of 6 years of professional activity. Nearly half (106/49.53%) reported having knowledge about bisphosphonates, and undergraduate courses were the primary source of such information (73/34.11%). Osteoporosis was the most identified indication for use (75/35.04%), although no participants correctly identified all indications. Regarding the drugs’ side effects, only three dentists (1.40%) could correctly identify all responses, with bone necrosis being recognized by the majority (88/41.12%). Sodium alendronate (54/25.23%) and sodium ibandronate (15/7.01%) were the most identified examples of bisphosphonates. Last, only nine dentists (4.20%) could identify all examples of the drugs, and their capacity was associated with self-reported knowledge (p<0.05). Conclusions More information about bisphosphonates should be disseminated in Belo Horizonte, ideally via better approaches in local undergraduate and postgraduate courses. Until then, knowledge of the basic aspects of bisphosphonates will remain limited.

RESUMO A amiloidose oral é uma doença caracterizada pela deposição extracelular e irreversível de proteínas amorfas e fibrilares na cavidade bucal, sendo fortemente associada com Mieloma Múltiplo. O objetivo deste trabalho é relatar o caso de uma mulher com 62 anos de idade diagnosticada com Mieloma Múltiplo que, aproximadamente 2 anos após o início do tratamento para a doença de base, apresentou lesão em borda lateral de língua com crescimento exofítico, de coloração rósea, vascularizada, indolor, medindo 3 cm em seu maior diâmetro. Após análise histopatológica através de biópsia incisional, obteve-se diagnóstico final de amiloidose. Como tratamento local, optou-se pela exérese completa da lesão. A paciente evoluiu para óbito por consequência do Mieloma Múltiplo com complicações associadas à amiloidose sistêmica. A amiloidose oral geralmente está associada com a apresentação sistêmica da doença, tornando necessária uma investigação aprofundada nos demais órgãos. Seu diagnóstico é importante uma vez que pode influenciar diretamente no prognóstico e, consequentemente, negativamente nas taxas de sobrevida e no tratamento da doença de base.

ABSTRACT Oral amyloidosis is a disease characterized by extracellular and irreversible deposition of amorphous and fibrillar proteins in the oral cavity, being strongly associated with Multiple Myeloma. The objective of this study is to report a case of a 62-year-old woman diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma who, approximately 2 years after starting treatment for the underlying disease, presented a lesion on the lateral border of the tongue with exophytic growth, pinkish color, vascularized, painless, measuring 3cm in its largest diameter. After histopathological analysis through incisional biopsy, a final diagnosis of amyloidosis was obtained. As a local treatment, we opted for complete excision of the lesion. The patient evolved to death due to Multiple Myeloma influenced by the diagnosis of systemic amyloidosis. Oral amyloidosis is usually associated with the systemic presentation of the disease, making it necessary to conduct a thorough investigation of other organs. Its diagnosis is important since the prognosis is directly related and can negatively influence survival rates and treatment of the underlying disease.