The term used to refer to the burning / burning sensation of the oral cavity, without an obvious triggering cause is «Burning mouth syndrome».
This painful burning sensation, which does not respond to a triggering stimulus, can occur in any location of the oral cavity including the lips, which may affect the entire cavity in its entirety or to one or several delimited parts, the latter being more unusual. This may have fluctuations in perception by the patient, since this can last all day with equal consistency in terms of the intensity of perception, or vary being less symptomatic at first day of the day, accentuating as the days pass. hours.
It has a variable evolutionary course, ranging from weeks to even years, its spontaneous disappearance being very rare. The sensation is very unpleasant because the patient can come to perceive that he is «burning» his mouth without this really happening.
The main problem lies in the lack of knowledge of the cause, which makes the task of solving and treating the pathology very difficult, as well as the absence of physical oral changes perceptive to the examinations.
There are risk factors such as:
- Being a woman and being in a menopausal or postmenopausal period.
- have been older than 50 years,
- have had recent dental diseases or procedures,
- gastro esophageal reflux,
- be a smoker or consume alcohol …
Besides this, it can generate many complications in daily life. It usually causes difficulty falling asleep, difficulty eating and feeling depressed and restless.
The characteristic symptoms of this pathology are:
- Burning sensation with pain and burning.
- Sensation of taste changes, increase of metallic or bitter taste.
- Loss of taste
- Sensation of oral dryness and constant thirst.
In response to the cause we can define two types of burning mouth syndrome, primary and secondary:
Primary burning mouth syndrome: it is one in which no changes are identified in the tissues, it is idiopathic. It is usually related to alterations of peripheral or central sensory nerves.
Secondary burning mouth syndrome: occurs as a result of another pathology or primary situation suffered by the patient.
In this case patients have conditions such as: xerostomia, fungal infections, inflammatory disorders. Also plane lichen, nutritional deficits, allergies, dental prostheses, endocrine disorders such as diabetes. In addition to psychological factors such as stress or anxiety, inadequate oral habits such as lingual nibbling, xerostomizing drug use … As we mentioned previously, the resolution of this pathology is complex. In many cases it can not be achieved, so that the measures to be taken against it are of a preventive nature. Among these is to avoid the consumption of irritants, such as tobacco and alcohol. In addition, carbonated drinks and acidic and spicy foods must be eliminated.
In some cases lubricating gels are recommended that avoid xerostomia and humidify the medium. This makes it more bearable, in addition to the elimination of all those predisposing factors.
If you are being victim of this unpleasant sensation, go to SJD Dentists where we will be happy to help you and guide you in this situation.