Prevalence of psychopathology in burning mouth syndrome

Forty-nine patients with burning mouth syndrome were simultaneously evaluated through a psychiatric interview and a psychopathologic questionnaire (SCL-90). The same protocol was applied to a control group (n = 47) free of oral complaints and with a similar age and sex distribution. The subgroup with burning mouth syndrome and associated psychiatric disorders differed from the subgroup of patients without psychiatric disorders in that the former exhibited significantly more symptoms of anxiety, depression, obsession, somatization, and hostility. This latter parameter appears to be present particularly among depressed persons. No significant psychopathologic differences were observed between the subgroup with BMS who exhibited no psychiatric disorders and the controls who were free of oral disorders.