What Is Burning Mouth Syndrome?
Burning Mouth Syndrome is a common yet complex problem that causes the individual to experience a burning or scalding pain on the lips, tongue and sometimes throughout the mouth.Sunnyvale geriatric dentist Dr. Gupta explains how there are often no visible signs of irritation. The cause of the syndrome may be caused by the onset of menopause to vitamin deficiencies. About 5% of the population, usually people over the age of 60, are affected by burning mouth syndrome. It often occurs more frequently in older women, often in menopausal women. Xerostomia is another condition that is more prevalent in the older population.
If you’re experiencing symptoms of burning mouth syndrome, you should schedule an appointment with Sunnyvale Dental Care Office today.Diagnosis:
Medical history is taken. Oral causes for BMS will be determined by taking an oral swab or biopsy to check for thrush. Dry mouth examination along with seeing a general physician or specialist for other blood, allergy, liver or thyroid tests.Possible Treatments: Will vary depending on the cause. For the 70% of people where no diagnosis can be pinpointed, your dentist will treat the symptoms through:
- Antifungal therapy
- Vitamin and mineral replacements
- Creams or lozenges containing capsaicin …..low doses of capsaicin (a red pepper derivative that works by overwhelming the mouth by providing the pain with a distraction.).
- Hormonal replacement
- Antidepressants (to mask the burning sensation that occurs on the tongue by changing the brain chemicals)
- Mental health counseling
- Intraoral appliances
- Topical rinses
- Anesthetics
Thioctic Acid Treatment for Burning Mouth Syndrome:
Burning mouth syndrome (BMS): double blind controlled study of alpha-lipoic acid (thioctic acid) therapy.Study Overview
Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) has features of a neuropathy and could be related to the production of toxic free radicals that are released in stress situations. Alpha-lipoic acid is an antioxidant able to increase the levels of intracellular glutathione and eliminate free radicals.This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of alpha-lipoic acid in the therapy of BMS.
Method
This was a double blind, controlled study conducted for two months on 60 patients with constant BMS. Comparing alpha-lipoic acid (test) with cellulose starch (placebo), there was no laboratory evidence of deficiencies in iron, vitamins or thyroid function and no hyperglycaemia.Results and Conclusion
Following treatment with alpha-lipoic acid, there was a significant symptomatic improvement, compared with placebo, with the majority showing at least some improvement after 2 months, thus supporting the hypothesis that burning mouth syndrome is a neuropathy.This improvement was maintained in over 70% of patients at the 1 year follow-up.
Learn more when you visit Sunnyvale Dental Care Practice. Call Sunnyvale Geriatric Dentist Dr. Gupta at 408-720-0900 to schedule a consultation today!