A pilot study: stability of psychiatric diagnoses over 6 months in burning mouth syndrome

Ten people with burning mouth syndrome (BMS) were interviewed by a psychiatrist using the Schedules of Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (SCAN) at initial presentation and at 6-month follow-up. A range of psychiatric disorders from the neurotic spectrum was identified using the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) criteria, but the diagnoses were unstable. Six of the ten individuals received a psychiatric diagnosis, suggesting that the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity is high in this common dental syndrome. Psychiatric aspects of BMS require further investigation.