Dentist performs surgery helps woman speak, eat again

NBC Philadelphia - Imagine losing the ability to talk, eat, or swallow food. That was the painful reality that Violetta Pernsley, 64, of Romansville, Pa., had to live with for nearly a year.

NBC Philadelphia – Imagine losing the ability to talk, eat, or swallow food. That was the painful reality that Violetta Pernsley, 64, of Romansville, Pa., had to live with for nearly a year.

Oral cancer caused her to lose the entire roof of her mouth, including her teeth. Due to the cancer, there was nothing above her tongue up to her nasal passage. To learn more about this procedure from the perspective from an expert, check with this local dentist in Chapel Hill NC.

After reconstructive surgery failed, Pernsley, who is a widow, was desperate for an artificial mouth plate that would cover the hole and give her new teeth at just like Dental Implants San Diego CA experts recommended, a process that costs $30,000. Despite her desperation, Pernsley says her medical and dental insurers refused to pay, calling it a cosmetic procedure.

That’s when the staff at local oral surgeon Peter Famiglio decided to step in, volunteering to come in on their day off. Famiglio even got a local dental lab to donate $5,000 worth of material.

“She’s a hardworking woman who has had the same job for many, many years, has “great” insurance but was caught in a trap here,” said Dr. Famiglio.

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