Burning mouth syndrome

Overview

Burning mouth syndrome is the medical term for ongoing (chronic) or recurrent burning in the mouth without an obvious cause. The discomfort may affect your tongue, gums, lips, inside of your cheeks, roof of your mouth or widespread areas of your whole mouth. Burning mouth syndrome appears suddenly and can be severe, as if you scalded your mouth.

Unfortunately, the cause of burning mouth syndrome often can't be determined. Although that makes treatment more difficult, don't despair. By working closely with your health care team, you can often get burning mouth syndrome under better control.

Other names for burning mouth syndrome include scalded mouth syndrome, burning tongue syndrome, burning lips syndrome, stomatodynia and glossodynia.

Why choose Mayo Clinic

• Experience and expertise. Each year, Mayo Clinic experts diagnose and treat more than 150 people who have burning mouth syndrome. Extensive testing can help determine what triggers your discomfort and rule out other problems.
• Multispecialty team. At Mayo Clinic, highly-skilled specialists from different areas work together to diagnose and manage your burning mouth syndrome. Using the latest technology, experts can treat any underlying condition that may be contributing to burning mouth syndrome. If no abnormalities are found, Mayo Clinic doctors can recommend lifestyle changes and medication to manage your symptoms.

Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., is ranked among the Best Hospitals for ear, nose and throat by U.S. News & World Report. Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Ariz., is ranked high performing for ear, nose and throat by U.S. News & World Report.

Mayo Clinic: Answers you can trust

At Mayo Clinic, we assemble a team of specialists who take the time to listen and thoroughly understand your health issues and concerns. We tailor the care you receive to your personal health care needs. You can trust our specialists to collaborate and offer you the best possible outcomes, safety and service.

Mayo Clinic is a not-for-profit medical institution that reinvests all earnings into improving medical practice, research and education. We're constantly involved in innovation and medical research, finding solutions to improve your care and quality of life. Your doctor or someone on your medical team is likely involved in research related to your condition.

Our patients tell us that the quality of their interactions, our attention to detail and the efficiency of their visits mean health care — and trusted answers — like they've never experienced.

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