BURNING MOUTH SYNDROME

Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is a condition whereby a person feels a hot sensation which may get the tongue, lips, palate or other areas of the mouth affected. BMS is also called ‘glossodynia’.

This sensation is usually gotten when the nerves in your mouth change the way they send messages to your brain. There may be no visible redness or soreness in the hurting areas with this condition.

BMS can also be called ‘neuropathic pain’ because it is a result of damage to the nerves. If you are ever in this category, do well to visit our dentist in London for professional advice.

CAUSES OF BMS

It can be difficult to place the exact cause of BMS, but some factors may be suspected to cause it. They include:

• Anxiety, stress and depression
• Hormonal changes
• Problems with the immune system
• A reaction from the use of some types of mouthwashes or toothpaste
• Damage which occurred to the nerves in charge of controlling taste or pain
• Ill-fitting dentures or being allergic to the materials used in the production of dentures.

Medical conditions which may cause BMS

Some medical conditions can also cause BMS, and they include:

• Acid reflux (which occurs when the stomach acids come up into the mouth)
• Dry mouth
• Thrush ( an infection in the mouth caused by Candida)
• Nutritional deficiencies (which may occur when your body is unable to make or retain enough folic acid, iron or vitamin B12)
• Thyroid problems
• Diabetes

You can visit our clinic in London, to find out if your burning mouth is related to a dental problem. Call our dental helpline on 020 71830755 to know more.

WHO CAN GET AFFECTED BY BMS?

BMS can affect everyone, but people in their middle age and women who have become older and have attained menopause are more prone to it. 

WHAT ARE THE PROBLEMS RELATED TO BMS?

When you have BMS, you will feel a burning sensation which may range from moderate to severe cases on your gums, lips, tongue or the inner part of your cheeks.

Some people start having this feeling in the morning, and it gradually gets worse till evening; the night time may bring some relief. There are cases where people feel the burning sensation always, and there are also cases where others experience pains which just come and go. Numbing, tingling of the tongue and mouth, a metallic or bitter taste, or a sore or dry mouth are also symptoms which may be noticed with this condition.

People with BMS can also feel like the mouths have scaled when they take in hot food or drink.

HOW CAN IT BE DIAGNOSED?

To diagnose this condition, adentistwill have your mouth examined. You can reach out to any of our dentists at Cosmetic dentistry clinic. Your medical history will also be examined, and we may also request you go to your doctor for appropriate investigation so that the cause of the problem can be determined. These examinations could include a blood test and swabs. These tests will help rule out if nutritional deficiencies, infections or any other medical conditions are present.

An allergy test may also be done on you by a dermatologist. You will have to refer to your doctor if a need for this arises.

For the presence of thyroid problems or diabetes to be ascertained, you may need to go for a blood test.

WHAT ARE THE AVAILABLE TREATMENTS?

There are different treatments available for BMS, but they are chosen based on the cause of the disease.

When poor diets cause BMS, then you will have some supplements recommended for you by your dental team. If you use dentures, your dental team may also have your dentures replaced and some antifungal medications prescribed to treat the infection in your mouth.

A course of low-dose anti-depressants and counselling may be recommended by some doctors because some people wear down and become depressed because of the BMS related pains. Your doctor may also have your medication changed if dry mouth (which may be a side effect of a medication you took) was the cause of your BMS.

If you have anxiety, you may also need to go through other therapies like yoga, meditation, relaxation, and hypnotherapy so that you can cope with it.

WHAT CAN I DO TO RELIEVE MY SYMPTOMS?

You can relieve your symptoms by yourself when you are at home by:

• Frequently taking some sips of water
• Crushing some ice and sucking on them
• Frequently chewing sugar-free gums so that you can produce more saliva to avoid your mouth from getting dry
• Avoiding alcohol and tobacco products
• Staying away from things which can irritate the mouth, e.g. mouthwashes with alcohol. Acidic fruits and their juices, hot foods and drinks, or spicy foods.

If you think you need further help, you can reach out to our dental team at Cosmetic dentistry clinic today.

WHAT AM I TO DO IF I NOTICE SOME SYMPTOMS OF BURNING MOUTH?

If you think you may be having a burning mouth, the first thing to do is to visit a dental team in London and have a check-up performed on you. If the check-up shows that the case is dentally related (i.e. caused by dry mouth or your dentures), your dental team will then proceed to check how well your dentures fit (that’s if you use them) and also look into the materials used in producing them to know if you could be allergic to them. If dry mouth was the cause, your dental team would recommend a product that will help ease the dry mouth or antifungal drugs that will help clear the infection.

If your dental team find no dental cause after the check-up, you will be referred to a doctor so that other tests will be performed.

HOW LONG CAN BMS LAST?

Since the exact causes of BMS are not known, it may be difficult to get a correct course of treatment planned out. Since BMS is a condition which can last for long, your case may last for some months, years if not all your life.

To have a normal life with BMS, you will have to find ways of limiting the pains and easing the symptoms. You will feel better if you stick to the recommendations of your doctor. When you do all this, you will be able to go on with your normal everyday life as you did before.

To know which treatment works better for you, you will have to keep track of the severity of the symptoms you had when you used each type of treatment. With this, your dental team will be able to trace which treatment works better for you since everybody reacts differently to treatments.

We can help you manage your BMS; visit our clinic in London, to meet with our dental team. Book an appointment now.

CAN BMS BE CAUSED BY ANY MEDICAL CONDITION?

The exact cause of BMS is not known so for you to cope with this long-lasting condition, your doctor will have to recommend some anti-depressant drugs which you will take on a low-dose so that you will feel better (i.e. if the condition is making you depressed). You may also be referred to a Cognitive Behavioural Therapy if need be.

Let us know if you need more advice

You can always contact our dental helpline if you want to know more. The number to call is 020 71830755. You can also visit our clinic in London to meet our dentist personally.Book an appointment here.