Management and Diagnosis of Burning Mouth Syndrome

Burning Mouth Syndrome (BMS) is a chronic intraoral pain disorder characterised by a persistent burning or dysaesthetic sensation of the oral mucosa in the absence of visible lesions. Diagnosis relies on a detailed patient history, clinical examination, exclusion of local and systemic conditions, and the use of pain assessment tools such as visual analogue scales and quantitative sensory testing. Management is multidisciplinary, combining topical and systemic pharmacological agents—such as clonazepam, tricyclic antidepressants and alpha lipoic acid—with non-pharmacological approaches including cognitive behavioural therapy, patient education and low-level laser therapy. Treatment goals focus on symptom relief, psychological support and improvement of quality of life. Heterogeneity in clinical presentation and response to therapy underscores the need for personalised, gender-sensitive strategies and for standardised intervention protocols.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have highlighted gender-specific influences on pain perception in BMS, revealing that educational level, sleep quality and anxiety are differentially associated with pain intensity in men and women. Multivariate analyses demonstrated that depression and alcohol consumption modulate pain quality in male patients, while low education and non-married status further predict pain severity in women. These findings underscore the necessity of tailoring diagnostic assessment and management plans according to sociodemographic and psychological profiles.

Management and Diagnosis of Burning Mouth Syndrome publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in management and diagnosis of burning mouth syndrome across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Neuropathic pain: Pain arising as a direct consequence of lesions or diseases affecting the somatosensory system.

Dysaesthesia: An unpleasant abnormal sensation, either spontaneous or evoked, often described as burning or tingling.

Low-level laser therapy (LLLT): The application of low-intensity laser light to biological tissues aimed at modulating inflammation and pain.

Visual analogue scale (VAS): A psychometric response scale enabling quantification of subjective phenomena such as pain intensity.

References

1. Gender differences in pain perception among burning mouth syndrome patients: a cross-sectional study of 242 men and 242 women. Scientific Reports (2024).
2. Burning Mouth Syndrome Treated with Low-Level Laser and Clonazepam: A Randomized, Single-Blind Clinical Trial. Biomedicines (2024).
3. A systematic review of treatment for patients with burning mouth syndrome. Cephalalgia (2021).
4. Burning Mouth Syndrome: Aetiopathogenesis and Principles of Management. Pain Research and Management (2017).
5. Current management strategies for the pain of elderly patients with burning mouth syndrome: a critical review. BioPsychoSocial Medicine (2019).