How Is Burning Mouth or Burning Tongue Syndrome Diagnosed

/Home/Screening and Diagnosing Burning Mouth Syndrome/Burning Mouth Syndrome Tests and Diagnosis

When you seek the help of a doctor, you will receive an oral exam and will need to describe your oral habits and care routine – right down to the strength of the bristles on your toothbrush, so be prepared.

Most likely the doctor will want to take a complete blood cell count to look for infections or anemia. The blood will also be checked for nutritional deficiencies and for diabetes. In many cases a full round of allergy tests are also administered. If the doctor suspects thrush is the cause of your burning mouth syndrome, expect an oral swab to determine which fungus is growing out of control.

As daunting as it may sound, since BMS is so hard to pin to any one condition, you may, in the course of your diagnosis, see any one or all of the following medical professionals: a dermatologist, dentist, psychiatrist, psychologist, or an ENT (ear, nose, and throat.)

What Treatments Are Available?

The treatment of burning tongue syndrome is highly individualistic. If your burning mouth is associated with dry mouth which is in turn linked to a specific medication, simply changing the prescription may be the only solution necessary. For nutritional deficiencies, supplements can be used. An outbreak of thrush responds to oral antifungals such as Mycostatin or Diflucan. If it’s your dentures, you can improve your care regimen or have the appliance adjusted.

Unfortunately, however, these kind of easy fixes only work in a few cases. Psychological conditions involving stress and anxiety can respond to antidepressants, but antidepressants contribute to dry mouth, and dry mouth contributes to burning mouth. Many times people who have burning mouth as a result of a psychological problem may face outbreaks of the condition throughout their lifetime.

Essentially, treating burning mouth syndrome involves identifying an underlying cause and treating it to remove the BMS sensations. This is never an easy task because all too often it is impossible to figure out what is causing the oral inflammation.

When Should I Talk to a Doctor?

A good rule of thumb with any condition is to seek the advice of a physician when the irritation does not respond to home remedies or to the simple passage of time. If the problem continues after several days and you are dealing with persistent pain, soreness, and irritation of the gums your symptoms should be evaluated by a doctor.

How Can I Prevent Burning Mouth?

In general, you should avoid any irritation to the tissues in the mouth. This can include obsessive brushing of the teeth and the over use of mouthwash. Also avoid drinks with a high acid content. Quit smoking. Unfortunately, an outbreak of burning mouth may be completely beyond your control.

In the absence of an identifiable and treatable underlying condition, it is all too often true that someone suffering with a persistent case of burning mouth syndrome (also known as burning tongue syndrome) may simply have to learn to live with the condition.