SynthesisBMC oral health2026
Exploring the association between menopause and burning mouth syndrome: an updated review.
Synthesis in BMC oral health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundBurning Mouth Syndrome (BMS) is a chronic orofacial pain disorder characterized by a burning or dyesthetic sensation in the oral mucosa in the absence of identifiable clinical or laboratory abnormalities, predominantly observed in postmenopausal women. Despite its prevalence, the underlying causes remain poorly understood. This systematic review aims to synthesize current evidence on factors associated with BMS to inform future research and clinical management.
methodsA comprehensive literature search was conducted across PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase databases to identify relevant studies published between January 2000 and June 2025. After removing 108 duplicates from an initial pool of 688 records, 22 studies met the inclusion criteria. Eligible designs included cross-sectional, case-control, cohort, and descriptive studies involving individuals diagnosed with BMS. Methodological quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale.
resultsBMS was consistently associated with female sex, menopause, hypothyroidism, chronic medication use, and sociodemographic factors such as older age, marital status, unemployment, and lower educational attainment. Some studies found no significant correlations between BMS and salivary biomarkers such as protein, opiorphin, Candida species, or diabetes, while the role of progesterone remains inconsistent across studies. Additional contributing factors included chronic pelvic pain, heightened pain sensitivity, depression, anxiety, stressful life events, poor sleep quality, diminished quality of life, and oral health issues such as denture use, xerostomia, periodontitis, dental procedures, and parafunctional habits. Lifestyle factors particularly smoking, alcohol consumption, and intake of acidic, spicy, or strong-flavored foods were reported to exacerbate BMS symptoms.
conclusionThe findings highlight the multifactorial nature of BMS and identify vulnerable populations at increased risk. While numerous associations have been documented, no single etiological factor can be definitively implicated, underscoring the complexity of BMS pathogenesis and the need for interdisciplinary approaches in diagnosis and management.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.