VIDEO: 2 shot of Dr. Miriam Grushka examing the tongue of patient Noreen Carlozzi.

VOICEOVER: MORE THAN A MILLION AMERICAN ADULTS EXPERIENCE A PAINFUL, BURNING, ORAL SENSATION DOCTORS CALL BURNING MOUTH SYNDROME, OR B-M-S. THE CONDITION AFFECTS MOSTLY POST-MENOPAUSAL WOMEN AND UNTIL RECENTLY WAS A MEDICAL MYSTERY.

VIDEO: More oral examination shots of Noreen Carlozzi.

VOICEOVER: WITH B-M-S, ORAL PAIN USUALLY BEGINS BY LATE MORNING AND REACHES ITS PEAK BY EVENING, LEAVING PATIENTS DEBILITATED. NOREEN CARLOZZI KNOWS THE PAIN OF BURNING MOUTH SYNDROME.

SOT & SUGGESTED SUPER:
Noreen Carlozzi, Burning Mouth Syndrome patient

VIDEO: Cut-away shot of exam of Carlozzi's mouth.

INTERVIEW: Originally it was like after you ate a mint and you had a tingling sensation in your mouth. That's how it started and then it got progressively worse and it became what I would say a burning. Sometimes it's not as bad as other times as far as bothering you, but I would sometimes just sit down and just cry because I was so frustrated and I didn't know what to do." (TRT = 0:20)

VIDEO (NAT SOUND CLIP): Miriam Grushka, D.D.S., CWRU Associate Professor of Oral Diagnosis (speaking to Carlozzi)

SOUND BITE: "OK, so what we'll do is we'll change, we'll change your medication strategy, OK." (TRT = 0:05)

VIDEO: Shots of Dr. Grushka questioning Carlozzi about her condition. Cut to bottle of study drug, Clonazepam.

VOICEOVER: DOCTOR MIRIAM GRUSHKA, A DENTAL RESEARCHER AT CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY, HAS STUDIED BURNING MOUTH SYNDROME FOR YEARS. ALTHOUGH NO MEDICAL CONSENSUS EXISTS FOR ITS CAUSE OR TREATMENT, DOCTOR GRUSHKA IS SUCCESSFULLY TREATING B-M-S WITH A DRUG CALLED CLONAZEPAM.

SOT & SUGGESTED SUPER: Miriam Grushka, D.D.S., CWRU Associate Professor of Oral Diagnosis

INTERVIEW: By using another medication, low-dose clonazepam, we were getting fantastic results. In some of the patients where it was helpful the pain disappeared completely and if they had problems with taste or dry mouth, those problems disappeared also." (TRT = 0:16)

VIDEO: CU of Clonazepam prescription bottle label.

Cut to oral examination shots of Carlozzi.

VOICEOVER: 70 PERCENT OF B-M-S PATIENTS DOCTOR GRUSHKA STUDIED HAD REDUCED LEVELS OF PAIN WITH CLONAZEPAM, THE MOST SUCCESSFUL TREATMENT IN THE STUDY. SOME PATIENTS CANNOT HANDLE THE DRUG'S SIDE EFFECTS AND SOME FEEL NO RELIEF, BUT FOR THOSE IT HELPS, THE EFFECTS ARE DRAMATIC. DOCTOR GRUSHKA SUGGESTS THAT IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE BURNING MOUTH SYNDROME, CONTACT A DENTIST SPECIALIZING IN ORAL MEDICINE FOR TREATMENT.

THIS IS TOM SHROUT REPORTING FROM CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY, CLEVELAND.