A retrospective study on the clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of patients with burning mouth syndrome.

Abstract

Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) refers to a condition characterized by pain sensations such as burning or tingling, or sensory disturbances in the tongue or oral mucosa without any specific local or systemic cause for more than 3 months. This study retrospectively investigated the clinical characteristics of 248 BMS patients (217 women, 31 men, mean age 64.7±11.2 years). Treatment outcomes were assessed using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS). Parafunctional habit control education, saliva substitute, and counselling for psychological stability were implemented at the first visit, resulting in a significant reduction in NRS scores at the second visit. Medication such as clonazepam or zinc supplements were administered from the second to fourth visit, leading to a significant reduction in NRS scores compared to the initial visit. The various treatment options can be applied to alleviate the symptoms of BMS. Forty-eight patients (19.35%) exhibited serum zinc concentration of 70μg/dL or lower. A well-designed clinical study with a large number of patients is needed to compare the therapeutic effects between underlying conditions, medications, and nutritional supplementation including zinc.