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Burning Mouth Syndrome

Painful and frustrating, burning mouth syndrome is a puzzling disease that causes a burning pain within your mouth. This scalding sensation may affect your tongue, gums, lips, inside cheeks, or roof of your mouth. While burning mouth syndrome causes are unknown, it is believed that there may be an underlying health condition that is the catalyst for the disease. Some health conditions that may cause burning mouth syndrome include dry mouth, nutritional deficiencies or nerve damage.

Whichever the burning mouth syndrome causes may be, the symptoms are extremely painful. Each person who experiences burning mouth syndrome has different symptoms. Some start out with a burning sensation in the morning that worsens through the day and subsides at night. Other individuals feel constant pain all the time and still others have pain that comes and goes without warning. Most people who suffer from burning mouth syndrome experience a burning or scalding sensation on the tongue, lips, gum, palate, throat or entire mouth, a tingling or numb sensation in the mouth or tongue, dry or sore mouth, loss of taste or a taste change that is bitter or metallic.

Burning mouth syndrome treatments vary for each patient. As there are no sure ways to treat the disease, we at Howell Dental Associates treat a patient’s specific symptoms as well as try to diagnose the underlying cause for the disease. Burning mouth syndrome treatments can include a lozenge type form of anticonvulsant medication, alpha-lipoic acid (a natural antioxidant), oral thrush medications, certain types of anti-depressants, B vitamins, saliva replacement products, specific oral rinses or pain relievers.

If you are experiencing pain or soreness of the tongue, lips or gums, come see us as soon as possible. Prior to your visit, remember to write down your symptoms, any medications you are currently taking, and any questions you may have for your dentist. Bring along a family member if possible. We may take a blood test or oral cultures, perform some imaging testing or take salivary measurements. Gastric reflux tests may also be performed to help diagnose the cause for the burning mouth syndrome.

Remember to always talk to your dentist about any questions or concerns you may have during your regular check-ups.

To learn more about burning mouth syndrome causes and treatment plans and how our New Jersey dental office can help, call (732)-363-5115 to schedule an appointment to answer all your questions.