01/20/2003

Topical steroids ease pain of chronic mouth sores
A puzzling mouth condition affects millions of Americans, mostly women past age 50. It can make eating, brushing your teeth, even speaking painful.

STORY:  MOUTH SORES  (lichen planus)

SCRIPT  # 494  SHOOT:  1/15/03

AIRDATE:  Monday, Jan. 20, 2003

 

A puzzling mouth condition affects

                                                          millions of Americans, mostly women

                                                          past age 50.

                                                          It can make eating, brushing your teeth,

                                                          even speaking painful.

                                                          Dr. Linda Niessen looks at this

                                                          mysterious syndrome in today’s

                    SOVT:  1:41                       Dental Health Check.

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JANE BLACKMAN EATING                            (VOICE-OVER)

 

                                                          For more than a year, Jane Blackman

                                                          suffered from debilitating mouth pain.

 

SUPER:   Jane Blackman  :10-15          (“Like ulcerations in my mouth. There

              Dental Patient                              are many things you cannot eat. It

                                                          hurts to brush, to floss.”)

 

ON CAMERA                                        (STAND-UP BRIDGE)

SUPER:  Dr. Linda Niessen  :15-20          Jane has lichen planus.  100 years ago,

Baylor College of Dentistry          the condition got the name because it resembled tree moss.  But lichen planus has nothing to do with moss.  And it remains a very mysterious problem.

 

JANE GETTING AN ORAL EXAM          You can suddenly develop lacy-white streaks, or white spots in your mouth. In more advanced cases, painful ulcers occur.

 

SUPER:    Dr. Terry Rees                    (“And there is still many people who

                Gum Specialist          :35-40          believe there is no good treatment.

                             But we’ve started using more potent

                             topical steroids and they are generally

                             very effective.”)

 

 

 

 

 

Page 2

TWO-SHOT            Dr. Terry Rees of Baylor College of Dentistry is an internationally recognized

                             authority on lichen planus.

 

DR. TERRY REES                    (“When a patient has a dry mouth, a

                             patient is more susceptible, much more

                             likely to develop lichen planus.”)

 

MORE PATIENTS                    If you have a dry mouth problem,

                             you run a greater risk of developing

                             lichen planus.  The condition can

                             develop as a mysterious allergy.

 

DR. REES               (“And those kinds of allergies may be

                             to toothpaste, certain types of chewing

                             gum, mints, or even some dental filling

                             materials.”)

 

JANE BLACKMAN                    After months of treatment with several

                             different topical medications,  Jane

                             can eat one of her favorite foods again:

                             POPCORN.

 

JANE BLACKMAN                    (“In fact it’s cleared up except for little

                             occurrences.”)

 

ON CAMERA/DR. NIESSEN                    If you suffer from chronic mouth sores

                             see your dentist.  You could have

                             lichen planus.  Your dentist can make an initial diagnosis and help you get proper

                             treatment.  For Baylor College of Dentistry, Texas A & M System, I’m

                             Dr. Linda Niessen.         

Please include on websites

OPTIONAL ANCHOR TAG:                    (ANCHOR)

                             For more information, visit the Baylor

          Lichen Planus Information          College of Dentistry website AT

                www.tambcd.edu          T-A-M-B-C-D.-dot- E-D-U. Tomorrow,

            Website live discussion          at 9 am, the college will broadcast a

                   Tues. Jan. 21          one hour discussion of lichen planus

                   9 am – 10 am          on the website.

 

 

Topical steroids ease pain of chronic mouth sores

01/20/2003

By DR. LINDA NIESSEN / Baylor College of Dentistry

For more than a year, Jane Blackman suffered from debilitating mouth pain.

“Like ulcerations in my mouth. There are many things you cannot eat. It hurts to brush, to floss,” Blackman said.

Jane has lichen planus. One hundred years ago, the condition got the name because it resembled tree moss. But lichen planus has nothing to do with moss. And it remains a very mysterious problem.

You can suddenly develop lacy-white streaks, or white spots in your mouth. In more advanced cases, painful ulcers occur.

“And there is still many people who believe there is no good treatment. But we’ve started using more potent topical steroids and they are generally very effective,” said Dr. Terry Rees said. Rees of Baylor College of Dentistry is an internationally recognized authority on lichen planus.

“When a patient has a dry mouth, a patient is more susceptible, much more likely to develop lichen planus,” Rees said.

If you have a dry mouth problem, you run a greater risk of developing lichen planus. The condition can develop as a mysterious allergy.

“And those kinds of allergies may be to toothpaste, certain types of chewing gum, mints, or even some dental filling materials,” Rees said.

After months of treatment with several different topical medications, Blackman can eat one of her favorite foods again: popcorn.

“In fact it’s cleared up except for little occurrences,” Blackman said.

If you suffer from chronic mouth sores see your dentist. You could have lichen planus. Your dentist can make an initial diagnosis and help you get proper treatment.