Candidiasis and Other Bacterial Infections among Patients Diagnosed with Burning Mouth Syndrome.

Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is a state in which a patient experiences intraoral burning or a dysesthetic sensation without clinically evident causative lesions in the oropharyngeal area. The disorder is linked to a variety of conditions, including dry mouth, , and bacterial infections. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of oral and/or bacterial infections among patients with BMS and whether they have an effect on pain/burning and salivary flow levels. Objectives: (1) Gather patient data regarding the presence of oral infections, dry mouth, and pain levels in the morning, afternoon, and evening periods; (2) data analysis and assessment to determine medians, means, frequencies, correlations, and statistically significant differences between patient groups. : Overall, 173 patients (23 males and 150 females) with BMS and 13 controls (five males and eight females) took part in the study. We measured pain/burning levels, unstimulated and stimulated salivary flow, the percentage of patients infected with species and/or bacterial species, and the said species growth in Petri dishes. : was the most commonly found infection among patients with BMS ( = 28, 16.2%). Overall, 21.4% patients with BMS were diagnosed with either or another species. had the richest growth among patients with BMS (7.5% out of the infected 10.4% BMS patients). No statistical significance could be noted between the existence of either species or bacterial species infections and changes in pain/burning and salivary flow levels. Negative correlations were noted between age and unstimulated and stimulated salivary flow, and positive correlations were noted between age and andspecific bacteria species' growth levels. : Although patients with present bacterial or infections showed a marginal increase in pain/burning levels, no direct statistically significant associations could be made between the presence of species or other bacteria and the symptoms among patients with BMS.