Burning Mouth Syndrom - en kvalitativ studie

Aim: The aim of our study was to find the prevalence of Burning Mouth Syndrome among menopausal women at the Division of oral surgery and oral medicine, Department of clinical odontology, University in Bergen, and the reason why these patients are affected more often than others. Method: A literature study was made, searched through databases and in the school library. Thereafter a qualitative study was conducted. The patients were selected from the patient lists in the Odontologisk klinikk" at the University of Bergen. A special questionnaire for the anamnesis was made and used in an interview of the patients. Pain was measured with a visual analogue scale (VAS) and Douleur Neuropathique 4 (DN4) questionnaire for estimation the type of pain the patients had. An ordinary clinical examination was also made. Result: In the litterature it was found that the prevalence among menopausal women varies from 18 to 33 percent, and that the general prevalence is between 0,7 and 15 percent. The numbers varies because of the different diagnose criteria, and also a probably lack of knowledge among dentist and doctors. Among the patients in the clinic (n=47) we found four patients that were diagnosed with BMS. That is a prevalence of 8.5 percent. Only one of these patients was in the menopause. Conclusion: In the literature we found that there is higher prevalence of BMS among menopausal women. The condition is very complex, and the diagnosis and treatment might be a result of collaboration between neurology, endocrinology, psychiatry and odontology specialities. We could not find any patients with the diagnose BMS in the patient lists at the clinic. But we found 4 patients in other ways. The prevalence of BMS in our clinic was 8.5%. A questionnaire was made for the clinical investigation and can be implemented in the clinic