Association of Impaired Sleep Quality in Patients With Burning Mouth Syndrome: A Case-Control Study

Abstract

Background: Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is a chronic burning sensation of the oral cavity, which affects the oral mucocutaneous membranes. It is not usually accompanied by clinical symptoms and signs, and laboratory findings; its etiology is unknown and there are several problems associated with the condition. Objectives: The present study was designed to compare the quality of sleep in patients with burning mouth syndrome and healthy individuals. Materials and Methods: In the present case-control study, 32 subjects with BMS and 31 healthy subjects were enrolled. The subjects filled out the Pittsburgh sleep quality questionnaire. Data were analyzed using the SPSS software version 18. The t-test was used to compare mean sleep quality scores between the two groups. Chi-square test was used to evaluate the presence or absence of sleep disorder in the two groups. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used to evaluate the correlation between the variables. Statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. Results: The mean age of the subjects in the BMS and control groups were 49.9 ± 11 and 48.5 ± 8.3 years, respectively. The prevalence rates of sleep disorders in the BMS and control groups were 78% and 38.7%, respectively, and the difference between the two groups was significant (P = 0.04). The overall sleep quality scores in the BMS and control groups were 7.4 ± 4.08 and 4.6 ± 3.2, respectively, with statistically significant differences (P = 0.009). Conclusions: Based on the results of the present study, patients with BMS had sleep disorders, which should be considered in the clinical evaluation and treatment planning of these patients.