Burning mouth syndrome (BMS), a painful disorder affecting mostly women, is a constant and aggravating source of discomfort for more than 1 million adults. Patients experience a burning sensation in their mouth, palate, lips and tongue, as well as partial or complete loss of taste, dry mouth and thirst.

Anxiety and depression may be a precursor that triggers this difficult-to-diagnose syndrome, according to a report in the September/October 2003 issue of General Dentistry, the Academy of General Dentistry's (AGD) clinical, peer-reviewed journal.

 Oral habits of anxiety and depression may include repetitive tongue thrusting and bruxism (teeth grinding), which can irritate the mouth and lips and have been reported to cause BMS symptoms in up to 70 percent of patients suffering from this chronic disorder.

Reviewed: January 2012