Key points to know:
- There are no known cures for primary burning mouth syndrome.
- There are some therapies that help manage the pain for some people, but they don’t work for everyone.
- Secondary burning mouth syndrome might be treated if the original cause is found and treated.
Burning Mouth Syndrome Treatments
Finding treatment for burning mouth syndrome is frustrating. Unfortunately, there are few doctors specializing in burning mouth syndrome and there is no cure for primary BMS. Treatment for secondary BMS would focus on the cause and hopefully if the cause is treated, the BMS pain will go away.
Finding a clinician (doctor or dentist) who understands BMS and can treat it is challenging. In the U.S., specialists may belong to the American Academy of Oral Medicine or the American Academy of Orofacial Pain. In Canada, specialists may belong to the Canadian Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology and Oral Medicine.
It’s tempting to try just about anything you see online that might work to help relieve the burning mouth syndrome pain and discomfort. The desperation can drive you to try things that you know in your head won’t likely work, but you still hope they will. But you need to be careful. Many of the so-called burning mouth syndrome treatments or therapies don’t work, can be costly, and may even be dangerous. That said, there are some treatments to try that could make the pain more manageable whether you have primary or secondary BMS.
Some things to try to treat burning mouth syndrome
Before trying anything specific, there are some steps that might help ease the pain, even a little.
- If you smoke, stop smoking. This irritates the mouth even more.
- Stop or limit alcohol consumption.
- Avoid foods that are spicy or acidic.
- Avoid foods that can scrape or hurt your mouth, like toast or something that requires you to open your mouth wide, like a large hamburger.
- Avoid carbonated drinks.
- Try stress management techniques, like meditation or mindfulness.