Saliva on the oral mucosa and whole saliva in women diagnosed with burning mouth syndrome.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study was to examine mucosal saliva and unstimulated (UWS) and stimulated (SWS) whole saliva secretion rates and associated factors, in 56 female patients diagnosed with BMS and age-matched control women.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Mucosal saliva was assessed using the Periotron method and blood flow using laser Doppler flowmetry. Diseases, drug usage and xerostomia were registered using questionnaires.

RESULTS

The patients with BMS displayed less lingual and whole saliva, and more hyposalivation, xerostomia diseases/disorders and drug usage, compared to the controls. Only a low SWS and xerostomia differed after adjusting for drugs and systemic diseases. Regression analyses suggested an importance of saliva affecting drugs for saliva on the tongue and for SWS, and the total number of drugs used for UWS. Lingual saliva and UWS were also associated with systemic diseases in the patients. Xerostomia was significantly associated with drug use and whole saliva for all subjects but not in separate analyses of the groups.

CONCLUSION

Less saliva in patients with BMS could be related to more systemic diseases and medication and not to the syndrome per se. Xerostomia in the patients was not related to any of these factors.