Burning Mouth Syndrome –Latest update

Abstract

Introduction: Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is characterized by a recurrent daily burning sensation with no evidence lesions in the oral mucosa. It is accompanied by subjective dry mouth and dysgeusia. The tongue is the most commonly affected site, but the condition also affects other sites in the mouth. Its etiopathogeny is multifactorial and its diagnosis is made by exclusion. Objective: This article reviews the literature about the epidemiology, etiopathogeny, and diagnosis of BMS in the past 15 years. Articles were selected from PubMed/MEDLINE, and included clinical assays, case reports, and reviews. We found 509 articles, and only 136 were chosen. The key words were: burning mouth syndrome (BMS), review, etiopathogeny, diagnosis. Conclusions: BMS remains an important diagnostic challenge, though the disease is considered a neuropathy characterized by damage to trigeminal peripheral nervous fibers, which triggers central sensitization. In addition to BMS and secondary BMS, it seems relevant to include complicated BMS, in which symptoms persist despite the elimination of local and systemic causes. BMS should be investigated by a transdisciplinary team that will take into account all aspects active in the mental and physical dimensions of the condition, in the most detailed way. Therefore, QST, imaging investigations, various evaluation scales of mental health and of the impact of BMS on quality of life as well as the investigation of sleep disorders and changes in circadian rhythm could be useful tools in the development of treatment strategies based on findings and observing the characteristics of each BMS patient in light of specifics of diagnosis.