Prevalence profile of burning mouth syndrome in a sample of Egyptian population: A cross-sectional clinical based study

Aim: Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is a debilitating chronic burning sensation in the oral cavity with no identifiable cause.The present research was conducted to evaluate the prevalence profile of BMS in a sample of the Egyptian population.Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed by screening 952 subjects, all individuals with burning mouth complaints were interviewed and examined to identify the site, timing, frequency, and intensity of their burning sensations.The presence of associated xerostomia, taste disturbances, and impact on quality of life was also recorded.The extent of perceived stress was assessed using the short version of the Perceived Stress Scale.Results: Among the total 952 cases, 75 cases suffered from BMS symptoms representing a prevalence rate of 7.9%, occurring more frequently in females and those aged 50 years and older.Additionally, 86.7% of cases suffered from systemic diseases, most commonly, diabetes mellitus and hypertension, and were on long-term medications.The intensity of BMS symptoms was relatively high (7.81 1.72).It was significantly correlated with age, smoking, duration of BMS, presence of medical conditions, long-term medications, quality of life, and Perceived Stress Scale scores.The most involved locations were the tongue and buccal mucosa.Xerostomia was reported in 78.7% of cases, while disturbance of taste sensation was reported in 49.3%.Conclusions: This is the first reported prevalence data for BMS in the Egyptian population in an attempt to improve the limited amount of relevant literature, revealing a BMS prevalence of 7.9% with a significant impact on the quality of life.