Burning mouth syndrome- A manifestation of the human body in the oral cavity.
Years back, during my dental college days, my friend and I went up to our Oral Medicine professor to get suggestions from him on a topic for the Oral Medicine IAOMR conference at Bangalore.
Burning Mouth Syndrome, a.k.a. Scalded Mouth Syndrome, Glossodynia, Oral Dysthesia, Stomatodynia, Glossopyrosis, is defined as a chronic orofacial pain characterised by a burning sensation in healthy oral mucosa.
Cause- It is often idiopathic in nature, that is, the cause is unknown. Although some sources reveal the cause could be local- Faulty dentures, Allergy, Galvanism(different metal fillings in opposite jaw) and systemic- Endocrine disorders, Stress, Depression, Anxiety, Diabetes Mellitus, etc. These factors cause neuropathic changes(changes in the brain) to cause the burning sensation.
Clinical manifestations include- Dry mouth(Xerostomia), Metallic taste, Oral dysthesia(pain), Oral Desgeusia(alteration in taste).
(D/D) Often confused with: Geographic tongue, Lichen Planus, Parkinson’s disease.
Treatment- Topical: Clonazepam, Capsaicin, Bupivacaine, Salivary supplements like chewing gums. Systemic: Alpha Lipolic Acid(ALA), Gabapentin, Clonazepam
MBH/PS