Burning mouth is a burning sensation in the mouth and often associated with burning tongue. In some cases it includes the lips and cheeks. Generally there are no visible signs of this problem. It's known medically as glossodynia or glossopyrosis and can last for a few days or weeks or can be a chronic problem. In rare instances, it affects the sense of taste. What makes it a problem is that there are a number of possible causes. Diagnosis depends on a thorough examination and often multiple types of testing. If you have burning tongue it's best to visit a dentist who is comfortable working with doctors in other fields since it may require a team approach to diagnose and treat.

          Burning mouth causes are:  hormone deficiency or abnormality, diabetes, menopause, oral yeast infection,  dry mouth, medications (diuretics, oral diabetic meds, some blood pressure meds ), blood abnormalities (dyscrasias, anemia), nutritional deficiencies ( vitamin B-12, niacin, iron, or folic acid), Gastric Acid Reflux , geographic tongue, tongue biting, scalloped tongue, depression, Chronic Infections, Inflammatory Disorders and Lingual Nerve Damage and Stomatitis, which is allergies to things like toothpastes and mouthwashes. It has also been linked to tobacco use and mouth cancer.

         To treat burning mouth, first identify the cause. The diagnosis of the source involves systematically ruling out each possible cause. If the cause is medical, the treating dentist may assist by providing medication for symptomatic relief while the physician addresses the cause. A half and half elixir of Benadryl and Kaopectate can often relieve the symptoms. In severe cases, your dentist may prescribe a steroid such as prednisone. Unfortunately, physicians to not have the time they once had to investigate problems, especially if these problems are not life threatening.
         
        If you are having problems with burning mouth, consider visiting the Atlanta Dental Group PC. Our dentists are dedicated to their patients' good health and well being.  Because of the nature of this problem, it's very important to develop a healthy working relationship with a dentist. Unfortunately, it can take time to diagnose the source of the problem since there are many causes and many treatment possibilities. If you would like to make an appointment with our senior Georgia Dentist, Dr. Mark Allan Padolsky, call us at 404-874-7428. We would be happy to welcome you into our family of patients.