Abstract
Taste and smell are considered to be functions that contribute to the maintenance of good nutritional status. The present study evaluates taste and smell function in patients with burning mouth syndrome (BMS) versus a control group. A cross-sectional study was made of 36 consecutive patients with BMS and 56 healthy patients. Smell was assessed using the Sniffin’ Sticks test, while taste was evaluated with Taste Strips. Oral quality of life was assessed with the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14), and the severity of dry mouth with the Thompson Xerostomia Inventory. The patients with BMS had a mean age of 60.4 ± 10.5 years, while the controls had a mean age of 61.3 ± 19 years. No significant differences in smell were recorded between the two groups. In contrast, significant differences in taste function were observed between the patients with BMS and the controls. In the patients with BMS, 44.4% suffered taste alterations compared with the 3.4% healthy controls. Further studies in such patients are needed to allow improved management of the chemosensory problems, mouth dryness, and oral health-related quality of life in BMS.
Highlights
Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is a chronic condition characterized by pain and/or burning sensation in the oral cavity, in the presence of an oral mucosa of normal appearance and with no local or systemic disorders [1,2,3]
Taste alterations are common in patients with burning mouth syndrome (BMS) and manifest as distorted taste sensation, dysgeusia, or phantom taste perception [6,7]
The study sample consisted of 36 patients with BMS (6 males and 30 females) with a mean age of 60.4 ± 10.5 years, and 56 controls (13 males and 43 females) with a mean age of 61.3 ± 19 years
Summary
Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is a chronic condition characterized by pain and/or burning sensation in the oral cavity, in the presence of an oral mucosa of normal appearance and with no local or systemic disorders [1,2,3]. While the etiopathogenesis of BMS is not fully clear, there is growing evidence defining it as a neuropathic pain disorder and, a direct consequence of a lesion or disorder affecting the somatosensory system [4,5], but the gustatory system has been implicated in this condition [2]. Taste alterations are common in patients with BMS and manifest as distorted taste sensation, dysgeusia, or phantom taste perception [6,7]. Taste and smell disorders receive little attention but can adversely affect food intake and the choice of foods, giving rise to malnutrition, immune disorders, and worsening of diseases [8,9]
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