GENERAL HEALTH FACTORS AND DENTURE FUNCTION IN PATIENTS WITH BURNING MOUTH SYNDROME AND MATCHED CONTROL SUBJECTS

A total of 30 denture-wearing patients with burning mouth syndrome (BM S) referred to a Pain Clinic Unit and 26 age- and sex-matched control subjects were examined and compared with respect to general health fac tors and denture function. The study demonstrated a significantly high er frequency of multiple chronic diseases, psychosocial stress factors , and tenderness/pain in masticatory, neck, shoulder, and suprahyoid m uscles in patients with BMS. Denture function differed also between th e two groups as patients with BMS had significantly less daily use of dentures, reduced tongue space, incorrect placement of occlusal table and increased vertical dimension. Pain interview with the use of the M cGill Pain Questionnaire demonstrated that pain in parts of the body o ther than the oral cavity were reported more frequently and that the i ntensity of past pain experiences was not rated higher except for pain in the head in patients with BMS. The results suggested a complex int eraction between several general health factors, psychosocial stressor s and denture dysfunction in order to explain an idiopathic burning pa in in the anterior part of the oral cavity. The existence of demonstra ble load factors does not seem to support the suggestion that BMS is p rimarily a psychogenic disorder.