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Burning mouth syndrome is a chronic condition characterized by an intraoral burning sensation in the absence of a local or systemic cause.

Objectives The purpose of this multicentre study was to determine the incidence of oral candidiasis in patients treated with topical steroids for oral lichen planus (OLP) and to determine whether the application of a concurrent antifungal therapy prevented the development of an oral candidiasis in these patients. Materials and Methods Records of 315 patients with OLP seen at four Oral Medicine practices treated for at least 2 weeks with steroids with and without the use of an antifungal regimen were retrospectively reviewed. Results The overall incidence of oral fungal infection in those treated with steroid therapy for OLP was 13.6%. There was no statistically significant difference in the rate of oral candidiasis development in those treated with an antifungal regimen vs those not treated prophylactically (14.3% vs 12.6%) (P = 0.68). Conclusions Despite the use of various regimens, none of the preventive antifungal strategies used in this study resulted in a significant difference in the rate of development of an oral candidiasis in patients with OLP treated with steroids.

Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is a chronic condition that is characterized by burning symptoms of the oral mucosa without obvious clinical examination findings. This syndrome has complex characteristics, but its cause remains largely enigmatic, making treatment and management of patients with BMS difficult. Despite not being accompanied by evident organic changes, BMS can significantly reduce the quality of life for such patients. Therefore, it is incumbent on dental professionals to diagnose and manage patients with BMS as a part of comprehensive care.

Objective Previous animal studies indicated catechins from the tea plant (Camellia sinensis) may modulate salivary function and possess a therapeutic effect for xerostomia. The objective of this study was to evaluate a natural formulation containing tea catechins in 60 patients with xerostomia, including patients with Sjogren syndrome. Study Design This study used a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized design. The functional placebo contained all natural formulation ingredients and 500 mg xylitol, but without the key plant extracts. Results After 8 weeks of therapy, the xylitol-containing placebo failed to modulate saliva output. In comparison, the catechin-containing natural formulation resulted in a statistically significant increase in unstimulated (3.8-fold) and stimulated (2.1-fold) saliva output vs baseline. The quality of life score showed a significant improvement in both groups but no significant difference between groups. Conclusions The catechin-containing natural formula partially restored salivary function in patients with xerostomia and provided an objective improvement in saliva output, which warrants large-scale clinical trials.