General health factors and denture function in patients with burning mouth syndrome and matched control subjects

A total of 30 denture-wearing patients with burning mouth syndrome (BMS) referred to a Pain Clinic Unit and 26 age- and sex-matched control subjects were examined and compared with respect to general health factors and denture function. The study demonstrated a significantly higher frequency of multiple chronic diseases, psychosocial stress factors, and tenderness/pain in masticatory, neck, shoulder, and suprahyoid muscles in patients with BMS. Denture function differed also between the two groups as patients with BMS had significantly less daily use of dentures, reduced tongue space, incorrect placement of occlusal table and increased vertical dimension. Pain interview with the use of the McGill Pain Questionnaire demonstrated that pain in parts of the body other than the oral cavity were reported more frequently and that the intensity of past pain experiences was not rated higher except for pain in the head in patients with BMS. The results suggested a complex interaction between several general health factors, psychosocial stressors and denture dysfunction in order to explain an idiopathic burning pain in the anterior part of the oral cavity. The existence of demonstrable load factors does not seem to support the suggestion that BMS is primarily a psychogenic disorder.