Burning Mouth Syndrome

Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is a chronic pain disorder characterized by intraoral pain in the absence of other, causative primary medical or surgical disorders. Affected patients often present with multiple oral symptoms, including a burning pain or tingling scalded sensation in the mouth or on the tongue, xerostomia (dry mouth), and dysgeusia (altered taste, e.g. loss of taste or metallic taste). There are no clinical signs and the mouth appears normal. It is a clinical diagnosis of exclusion. BMS is more common in post-menopausal women, but may occur at any age. Increasing data implicate neuropathic mechanisms in this condition. We discuss the clinical evaluation of patients with BMS and discuss management options. Common treatments include capsaicin, clonazepam, and neuropathic pain medications.