Burning Mouth Syndrome, Burning Tongue: (Glossodynia)

Presentation

Patients present with a painful sensation of the tongue or mouth. The pain is variably described as a burning, tingling, hot, scalded, or numb sensation, the magnitude of which is similar to a toothache. The sensation occurs most commonly on the anterior two-thirds and tip of the tongue but may include the upper alveolar region, palate, lips, and lower alveolar region. Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) affects women seven times more frequently than men. It particularly affects the middle-aged and elderly population (mean age 60 years) and has not been reported in children.

There may be xerostomia (dry mouth) ( Fig. 45.1 ), dental disease or dentures, geographic tongue ( Fig. 45.2 ), smooth tongue ( Fig. 45.3 ), candidiasis (see Chapter 53 ), or no visible explanation for the pain. True BMS is characterized by oral pain and discomfort in a patient with normal-appearing mucosa and no local or systemic condition typically associated with stomatodynia.