Correlation between Burning Mouth Syndrome and Anxiety in the Elderly Inmates of Sanitaria in Tehran

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is a chronic pain disorder characterized by a chief complaint of oral burning/pain with no clinically observable oral mucosal lesions. The prevalence of BMS has been reported to be 2.5-5.1% in the general population and several psychological disorders have been reported as associated or predisposing factors for BMS. The aim of this study was to determine the correlation between BMS and anxiety in the elderly residents of sani-taria in Tehran, Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a cross-sectional analytical study, 50 patients with BMS were included along with 50 healthy individuals as controls. Inclusion criteria were: age over 60 years, burning sensation in the mouth, normal oral mu-cosa, absence of diabetes, satisfactory prosthesis, absence of iron deficiency and other nutrients, and no heavy smoking habits. Similar inclusion criteria were considered for the control group without any oral complaints. Burning/pain severity was assessed by a 100-mm visual analog scale and the severity of anxiety (state, trait, and total) was determined by Cattell's Anxiety Scale. Data was analyzed by t-test and Pearson's correlation coefficient. RESULTS: Individuals with BMS assessed their burning/pain severity to be 27.4 mm (95% CI=25.2 - 29.6 mm). Standard-ized total anxiety scale in individuals with and without BMS (±SE for mean) was 5.9±0.2 and 4.6±0.3 with significant dif-ferences (p=0.001). Similar significant differences were observed in state and trait anxiety between the two groups. CONCLUSION: It seems that both state and trait anxiety are associated with burning mouth syndrome.