Have you ever heard of Burning Mouth Syndrome? About bout five of every 100,000 people report this painful condition yearly, with women more likely to be affected than men in a ratio of 33 to 1. In about half of all cases, there is no known cause or source. Fortunately, new research suggests that the drug clonazepam may provide relief for this elusive condition.
Burning mouth syndrome is a usually reported by patients as a feeling of burning or pain over the tongue, gums or palate. The sensation is often difficult to pinpoint and usual pain medications like aspirin or ibuprofen don't help. Many individuals will report suffering for extended periods of time- from weeks to months. In these instances, burning mouth syndrome is a form of chronic or "internalized" pain. This type of pain has little to do with actual injury to the mouth and more to do with how the brain interprets sensation.
Clonazepam is traditionally prescribed as a sedative and is often used to treat chronic pain conditions like back pain, fibromyalgia and arthritic knee pain. Only now has it's efficacy in treating burning mouth syndrome been recorded in scientific research. On average, patients taking clonazepam reported noticeable improvements in their burning mouth syndrome when compared to placebo groups.
As with any oral condition, a thorough examination with a dentist is required to diagnose and burning mouth syndrome. Facial pain has many sources- from tight jaw muscles to tooth infections- and we want to be absolutely sure we are treating the true cause! If you would like to know more about burning mouth syndrome or other facial pain conditions, please contact our office.