... Does anyone else have pain that starts in their TEETH then spreads upwards (downwards) into the gums? My pain is more look severe sensitivity/burning. My dentist just thought I had sensetive teeth because when my pain 1st started, I only got it when I was outside in the winter. Now 8years later it is a dailly thing. I don't always know what may trigger the pain. It can be from exposed to cold air to hot air, if my food is to hot or to cold, or if my drink is to cold. It will also flare up from different textures of the food I eat, then the next time I eat it, it may not bother it at all. I spend my days in constant fear every time I try to eat, drink, or go outside. My pain always starts with tingling in my teeth then progressively gets worse, most times to the point my teeth & gums have so much pain that I won't even open my mouth for 20-40 mins because the pain is so bad. I have not yet been diagnoised with BMS(yet), I have seen 3 dentist, family doctor & a neurologist. No one seems to know what is going on. So I have been doing my own web searches & found BMS. So now I need to ask them if BMS is a poosiblity.
Burning Mouth Syndrome - My teeth & gums are the main area of my pain?
Question posted by rmjw711 on 9 March 2012
Last updated on 16 March 2021 by Mahrok
12 Answers
Hi i have the same problem.The pain start in the morning and around night is gone one day is there next day almost gone and i had a very bad taste in mouth.My primary dr put me on vitamins and told me it might be a lack of vitamin and oral surgeon gave me anti fungi i got little better especially when i took vitamin d i see improvement
I also have BMS pain that starts in my top front TEETH! I thought I was the only one who also feels it in their teeth. I usually don’t feel anything until the afternoon, and then my top teeth tingle and feel “numb”. Burning starts and moves to the roof of my mouth, tongue and lips. I also get a bad taste in my mouth, and have a very diminished sense of taste. It’s interesting that when I eat, there is no burning or discomfort.
My ENT said it’s common in some post menopausal woman because of drop in estrogen.
I wish more doctors were more familiar with this condition. My PCP and gynecologist had never heard of it and therefore have no idea what to do.
I really do not want to start taking pain meds or antidepressants just to mask the problem.
Hi I this now for 9 and a 1/2 years I've been to so many doctors I can't remember anymore it had simmered down but it's been 2 years that the burning is constant 24/7... Sometimes at night it used to alleviate a little bit but now very rare. I went to a neurologist and he said for me to take anti seizure medication I am so afraid of taking anything that I plan on not taking them every time I try something I end up in the ER my burning is so badd that is has my pressure sky high my blood pressure goes off every time the burning does. I am very afraid to take the anti seizure medication this is all they have for the burning mouth syndrome can I ask you what the neurologist said when you went. I got to the point that I don't know what to eat anymore because everything Burns like crazy. I pray to God one day we all get a relief from this everytime I take any kind of pills in general vitamins Tylenol everything Burns it is horrible
This is a description of my symptoms as well, may start as a mild ache then moves into burning throbbing of what feels like the root of every tooth. I have new lines in my mouth from pursing my lips and holding my mouth shut. I put myself on b complex and lipoic acid. This has lessened my quality of life greatly. I have an apt with an oral pathologist in 3 months. I hope she can help. I would say menopause is a precursor for me.
Hi there. It really does sound like BMS and a lot of medical people have not heard of this condition.
Mine, as mentioned, starts at the tip of the tongue, then tongue continues into the gums and teeth, sore and so very painful. It took a few visits and a few months but was put on amitriptyline 10 mg tablet which I took 3 - 5 a day. It took a while to get into my system but for me it worked and the pain subsided, did not go away. There are other medications which you will find on this forum but I do swear by amitriptyline. There is no cure and why it suddenly happens is a ??? It is someimes like torture and it is not imagination it exists and oh so painful. God Luck June
My onset of BMS was diagnosed by my top-tier dentist In Utah in 2008, 3 months after abdominal surgery. I still live with the same kinds of patterns of discomfort and symptoms you describe - yes - 10 years later! I was briefly under care of Mayo Clinic Dermatology (Jacksonville) who described it as phantom pain from over-active nerve endings in the mouth area, much like fibromyalgia. The only thing that has worked for me has been clonazepam. .5mg. 3 to 6 times a day. I had to cut back when moving from UT to FL where medicines are more strictly regulated. I have had the greatest success with the TEVA brand which has unfortunately, recently stopped making the drug. Now I just have to make do with generic. It is not nearly as effective. But my method of application instead of directly ingesting a full pill at a time, I learned to break a piece of each pill off and put it directly against my tongue, tooth or gum area experiencing the most pain.
I do this throughout the day and try to pace myself to make sure I have some to use when I go to sleep. Make sure you get the NON-ODT to hold together longer before dissolving. This gives immediate relief at the point of pain but also enters the GI tract as it “melts” for some systemic effect. Mayo Clinic told me they began telling other patients about this method because efficacy lasting 10 years was much greater than the average fir other patients for whom the drug stopped working. They no longer accept patients or treat for BMS through Dermatology. Just not enough critical mass, I guess. I was lucky enough to be accepted into the practice of Elizabeth Burns Rauschenberger, a Primary Care Physician with Mayo based in St. Augustine, FL. She has been a great support for 6 years, for me. I also find the more sleep I get the less pain I have and visa-versa when I do not sleep well. I find toothpastes (Sensodyne Pro-Enamel and Colgate Sensitive are my favored brands) that minimize tooth sensitivity also give me relief. The very first time I read about and recognized myself in the description of the article was a Harvard University Medical School Article. I have not done much research in recent years so am anxious to read what fellow members of this group are able to share.
My problem is s lightly different. The pain is confined to gums and the burning is in the cheek touching the those gums and around. I have only a few teeth, the rest have been pulled out after severe tooth ache during the last 30 years. The Dental Surgeon after trying out some gum paints and medicines, came to the conclusion that I have nerve problem or Dental Neuralgia (not TMJ). He has prescribed Pregablin 75/ 150. I do get some relief now but the medicine keeps me drowsy for quite some time, at least in the initial period.
If you find a doctor that can tell you and offer some kind of treatment please let us know the doctor I am seeing found out about really by accident at a seminar he went to he is a pain management doctor and has me on all kinds of heavy duty medication and I am still in pain and yes mine starts with my teeth into my gums and at times my tongue and lips it gets worse as the day goes on by early evening nothing helps I am almost to my breaking point.
Your success with finding a specialist in your area from this website are pretty slim as people are from all over the world on here. Assuming that you probably have, but just checking that have tried the suggestions above. E.g. did you try the biotene and especially the mouth rinse called Gingi med by prescription? Did you see a dental surgeon or orthodonist to see you might have an infection in the bone next to each tooth? A pain management doctor may not know about these remedies.
I have been seen at UCLA Oral Facial Pain Clinic and while progress is slow and frustrating... I may have reflux Sympathetic Pain Dystrophy. My burning is severe and constant.
After many visits to doctors, dentist, allergist and oral surgeons (biopsied and ulcers that wouldn't go away, were to be watched for cancer) and no definitive answer or drug therapy, I researched it myself on the internet. Dr. R. Rogers, Dermatology whiz and his research had the treatment answer:
Alpha Lipoic Acid. THANK YOU DR. ROGERS!!! After starting with a low daily dose I increased to 1200 mg.mornings and 1200 mg. evenings. Now the burning secretions have stopped and the deep under the tongue ulcers have disappeared! It's not a cure but the symptoms are under control. Good luck . Hope it works for you. p.s. be mindful of the quality of ALA you are taking. ALA R-Factor claims the highest but I have very good results from "good" quality 600 mg Sundowner or Swanson brands.
Hello there, I'm not sure if you're still seeing these messages. I hope you are!! I have horrible burning mouth. The doctor, dentist and periodontist cant' find anything wrong and no-one has heard of burning mouth syndrome. I'm been reading online and discovered it. I read that alpha lipoic acid helps with the burning. I took 2 and got like a strange sunburn rash. The next day I took one and still felt funny. I'm kinda scared to take it anymore. I went to a HORRIBLE dentist years ago who did a crown for me and then right after had to get a root canal so they drilled through the crown and put composite over it. Now I have a cavity in that tooth and my new dentist said there's a huge gap and food can get underneath that tooth and possible cause problems and I can't feel it because I have a root canal.
I'm wondering if that can possible be the cause of the burning mouth? I'm like you, starts on the tip of my tongue then goes to the roof of my mouth and sometimes floor of mouth and lips. I'm on month 4 of this and it's horrible. I was wondering if it was menopausal but I'm not sure of anything anymore. Thanks!
Patti gave you a good answe, but I would also see a dental surgeon or orthodonist. My son was having some of these type of problems, & found out he had infection in the bone next to each tooth because Mom cound not afford braces when he was a ked, & food paricles worked down into the gum line & caused bone infection that made his mouth feel like this. Just a thought... Mary
I thought of one other answer for this person. Many meds cause dry mouth, sensitive tongue and teeth can be a symptoms. biotene mouth rinse help that. My antidepressant was making my tongue feel like it had infected tongue bumps, but no sign of the actual bump. And my GERD also contributes to some mouth irritation. So, i have listerine, biotene and the rx gingi med and am back on ranitidine.
Dear Mjw i had something just like this. Sensodyne really didn't help and it was intermittent like you are describing. I really pushed the issue at the dentist and he said, well i have this mouth rinse called Gingi-med and you can try that, it might help. When i went back, he asked if it helped, it had. I noticed the gingi med said it treated gingivitis and i asked if i could have had that and he said yes. He said, you didn't appear to have it, your teeth and gums look good, but sometimes people have a mild case, teeth get sensitive and it is coming from the gums, but is felt more in the teeth. That is why sensodyne wasn't working, it was not the teeth tubules. This stuff costs about $20 but lasts quite a while and it might be worth a try for you. It worked pertty quickly too. The downside is it can stain the teeth, but you can always whiten those.
I make sure i have some around if it starts happening again, but i have only had one or two weeks after the initial useage where i felt i needed it again. Ask your dentist if he carries it, if not, ask for rx or find a dental office that carries it and give it a try, wouldn't it be worth the $20 if it works. It was for me. Pattishan
Patti. I'm spending $20 a month on meds that aren't working so it sound like something I should try. The past 4 years I have been begging to have all my teeth pulled but the 3 dentist & the oral surgeon don't believe it's teeth/gum related. No one seems to know what it is. But I'm going to keep pursuing this till I find some kind of ansew. Thanks for your comment. RMJW
This sounds very different from my symptoms which is a burning sensation in the tongue that usually starts in the tip of the tongue and spreads to the roof of my mouth. It is mild in the morning and gradually worsens during the day to peak at night.
I also have a lot of teeth issues and have some sensitive teeth but nothing like you have described. Have you tried sensodyne toothpaste? That has helped me with the sesitivity to cold.
I know how frustrated you feel when it seems like the dentists and doctors don't know anyway to help you!
I hope you find an answer soon.
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pain, burning mouth syndrome, burning, mouth
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