Understanding uncommon Oral Issues Part IV – Burning Mouth Syndrome

Summer is around the corner and everywhere we com across people trying to keep the heat away. But what happens when you experience a persistent burning sensation in your mouth and on your lips? You may just as well be suffering from a condition known as ‘glossodynia’, more commonly known as burning mouth syndrome. Often uncomfortable to deal with yet confusing as an oral issue, Smilekraft Dentistry’s Dr. Priyank Mathur gives an insight into the condition called burning mouth syndrome (BMS). Characterised by a burning or scalded sensation that most commonly affects your tongue, but may also affect your lips, gums, palate, throat or whole mouth, the cause of BMS is not easy to diagnose. While possible reasons may include allergies, stress, hormonal changes or ill fitting dentures, BMS may often be a symptom of a deeper underlying medical issue. Some researchers have also suggested dysfunctional or damaged nerves as a possible cause. With discomfort and a tingling burning sensation beginning when you wake up, the burning may reach it’s peak by evening and even recede by night in some instances. In other cases, the burning sensation may come and go throughout the day. Accompanied by a dry mouth, increased thirst as well as possible changes in taste, this perplexing syndrome may last for months or years. If you have persistent pain or soreness in your tongue, lips, gums or other areas of your mouth, pay your dentist a visit. Smilekraft dentistry recommends highly individualised treatments which depend on the symptoms you exhibit as well as on the underlying cause- if identified. For most people, symptoms can be controlled through tailored treatment plans.