Topical application in burning mouth syndrome

Area of Science:

• Oral Medicine
• Orofacial Pain
• Diagnostic Tools

Background:

• Burning mouth sensations can stem from burning mouth syndrome (BMSD) or burning mouth symptoms (BMSP), posing diagnostic challenges.
• Differentiating BMSD from BMSP is crucial for appropriate patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess topical anesthetics as a diagnostic tool for distinguishing BMSD from BMSP.
• To evaluate comorbidities and pharmacologic treatment responses in BMSD and BMSP patients.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 44 patient charts from an Orofacial Pain Clinic.
• Diagnosis of BMSD and BMSP based on International Association for the Study of Pain and American Academy of Orofacial Pain guidelines.
• Evaluation of topical anesthetic efficacy on burning sensation reduction.

Main Results:

• Patients with BMSP exhibited significantly greater pain reduction with topical anesthetics compared to BMSD patients (p < 0.05).
• Clonazepam response was observed in 77% of females and 27% of males with BMSD.
• Hypertension was noted in one-third of females diagnosed with BMSP.

Conclusions:

• Topical anesthetics serve as a practical, rapid chair-side diagnostic aid for differentiating BMSD and BMSP.
• Female patients with BMSD demonstrate a more favorable response to clonazepam therapy.