Damage to taste system and oral pain: burning mouth syndrome

Damage to taste system and oral pain: burning mouth syndrome

Femiano F.

Department of Dentistry, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy. femiano@libero.it

The burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is an oral pain disorder. Central or peripheral pain mechanisms may play a role in the oral burning of BMS. Various local, systemic and psychological factors have been found to be associated with BMS, but its etiology is not fully understood. This syndrome mostly affects middle-aged women and is frequently accompanied by taste complaints. This association of symptoms suggests an interaction between the mechanisms of nociception and gustation, 2 senses with strong hedonic components. There are connections between taste and oral pain in the central nervous system and it is possible that BMS and other oral pain phantoms result from damage to the taste system. This suggests that individuals who suffer from BMS are likely to be supertasters.