Lake Orion Family Dentistry Blog

Heading Off Oral Cancer - Dr. Allain Offers New Pain-Free ViziLite Plus Exam to Help Detect Oral Cancer

One American dies every hour from oral cancer. It’s actually one of the deadliest forms of cancer when detected at a late stage. The five-year survival rate is only 21% for oral cancer that is detected at its latest stage, but the survival rate soars to 81% when it’s found at an early localized stage. Detecting pre-cancerous conditions could minimize concern. Is there a special technology to make that possible? “Yes,” says a local dentist. More>>

Come Visit our table at the Women's Expo on October 4th, 2007 at Boulder Pointe Country Club from 12-7 pm.
Receive a free gift, win a door prize, enter our raffle and enjoy snacks!!
Sponsored by Oxford Chamber of Commerce

Come Visit our table at the Lake Orion Community Expo on May 9th, 2007 at the Lake Orion High School 4:30-8:30pm.

On February 3, 2007 (“Give Kids a Smile” Day), Dr. Allain and assistant Shannon went to University of Detroit Dental School and volunteered their time providing free dental services to low-income children.

Many different types of food can cause tooth decay, not just candy. Foods that are high in carbohydrates, as well as some fruits, liquids, peanut butter, crackers and potato chips are culprits. Factors that cause tooth decay include the frequency in which the foods are eaten and the time they remain as particles in the mouth. More>>

Horrifying Tongue-Piercing Complication from CompuServe 10-18-06

They felt like electrical shocks, those stabbing, needle-sharp pains in her face that lasted as long as 30 seconds and struck 20 to 30 times a day. Stefania Fraccalvieri of Rome, Italy was only a teenager, but doctors diagnosed her with trigeminal neuralgia, a disorder of the nervous system in which the pain is so excruciating the ailment has been nicknamed the "suicide disease." The Associated Press reports that Fraccalvieri's physician pumped her full of painkillers, upping the medication when lower doses didn't work. Then one day, she removed the metal stud from her pierced tongue. Within two days, the pain was gone. Totally vanished.

This startling account of a tongue piercing gone terribly wrong has been published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Such piercings are rife with complications, some of which are life-threatening and include tetanus, heart infection, brain abscess, chipped teeth and receding gums. AP notes that one woman who had her tongue pierced developed so much scar tissue that it resembled what she called a "second tongue."

In this newly reported case, the metal stud Fraccalvieri wore in her mouth irritated a nerve that runs along the jaw under her tongue. Since that nerve is connected to the trigeminal nerve, one of the largest in the head, it produced the agonizing attacks. "There are people who have been dropped to their knees" by trigeminal neuralgia, Alana Greca, a registered nurse and director of patient support for the Trigeminal Neuralgia Association, told AP. "That's how intense and how horrendous the pain can be."

Dr. Marcelo Galarza, a neurosurgeon at Villa Maria Cecilia Hospital in Ravenna, Italy who treated Fraccalvieri and reported on the condition in JAMA, said, "Certainly, this was an isolated case, an extremely rare complication of this kind of piercing." Still he warned that the tongue is a dangerous place for a piercing since it is rich in blood vessels and can spread infection to major organs. Still, Fraccalvieri warned others about tongue piercing. "Don't do that," she said. My experience was so bad. I was so sick and now I feel much better."

One American dies every hour from oral cancer! The American Cancer Society has reported a 5.5% increase in new oral cancer cases and a 1.5% increase in deaths associated with oral cancer. More than 25% of oral cancers occur in people who do not smoke and have no other lifestyle risk factors.

Who is at risk for oral cancer?
Increased Risk:
*Patients age 18-39 without lifestyle risk factors
High Risk:
*Patients age 40 and older without lifestyle risk factors
Highest Risk:
*Patients age 40 and older with lifestyle risk factors, Any history or current use of tobacco
and/or consumption of alcohol.
*Patient with a history of oral cancer

Early detection saves lives! Oral cancer is one of the most cureable diseases when its caught early. Vizilite Plus is the only FDA cleared screening device for the identification and monitoring of oral abnormalities. The Vizilite Plus screening examination is quick (2-4 minutes), painless, and could save your life! Please call our office to find out more information about the new oral cancer screening examination, Vizilite Plus, or visit their web site.