Burning Mouth Syndrome Among Postmenopausal Women: A Clinic-Based, Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction Menopause is a physiological transition associated with several systemic and oral changes. Burning mouth syndrome (BMS), characterized by persistent or recurrent intraoral burning in the absence of an identifiable local or systemic cause, predominantly affects middle-aged and postmenopausal women. This study aimed to determine the clinic-based frequency of BMS and describe its demographic and clinical characteristics among postmenopausal women attending an oral medicine clinic. Materials and methods This cross-sectional observational study was conducted at the Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology of the School of Dental Sciences, Krishna Vishwa Vidyapeeth, Maharashtra, India. A total of 1,230 postmenopausal women were screened between January 2025 and December 2025, of whom 278 were excluded because they did not meet the eligibility criteria or declined participation. The remaining 952 eligible participants were included in the analysis. Data regarding demographic variables, systemic comorbidities, medication history, and clinical characteristics of BMS, as well as associated subjective symptoms like oral dryness and taste disturbances, were recorded. Descriptive statistics and Pearson's chi-square test were used for analysis, with a p value <0.05 considered statistically significant. Results Of the study participants, 26.5% (n=252) had BMS, with the largest proportion of women belonging to the age group of 55-59 years. Hypertension was the most prevalent systemic comorbidity, followed by diabetes mellitus. BMS symptoms were most commonly reported during the daytime, with the tongue being the most commonly affected site. Among women with BMS, oral dryness was reported most frequently in the age group of 60-65 years, whereas taste disturbances were most frequently reported in the age group of 55-59 years. Conclusion BMS was observed in one-fourth of the postmenopausal participants, with the tongue being the most commonly affected site and oral dryness and taste disturbances being frequent accompanying symptoms. Given the single-centre, cross-sectional design, the findings should be interpreted within the context of the study population and cannot establish causal relationships. Early recognition, exclusion of secondary causes, and appropriate multidisciplinary management may facilitate better clinical care for affected postmenopausal women.