Could methylene blue be used to manage burning mouth syndrome? A pilot case series

Abstract

Objective: Burning mouth syndrome is a disabling condition of complex pathophysiology characterized by spontaneous pain felt in the oral mucosa in the absence of evident mucosal lesions which lacks efficient treatments to this day. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the efficacy of methylene blue in the management of burning mouth syndrome. Methods: The study was conducted at the dental clinic of the Anta Diop University and Newtown dental clinic of Dakar, Senegal. A solution of methylene blue as a mouth-rinse (0.5%) was applied for 5 minutes in five patients satisfying the ICHD-3 diagnostic criteria for burning mouth syndrome. This procedure was repeated every 6 hours 3 times per 24h, during 7 days. Using numeric rating scale, pain severity was assessed as the mean pain felt during the last day of application. Results: After 7 days, the pain was significantly reduced by two-thirds and almost absent at 3 and 6 months follow-up. No secondary effects of the use of methylene blue were observed. Putative mechanisms of action and potential implications for treatment are discussed. Conclusion: Methylene blue is an old compound but a novel topical therapy that could prove beneficial in the management of burning mouth syndrome.

Micronutrients status as a contributing factor in secondary burning mouth syndrome: A review of the literature

“… 51 Other antioxidant agents such as melatonin 58 and Alpha‐lipoic acid (ALA) have examined, the last of them having the highest number of clinical trial studies. The four case reports and case series studies have shown the therapeutic effects of antioxidant agents, methylene blue, 61 Chamomile, 57 ultramicronized palmitoylethanolamide 59 in secondary BMS patients (Table 4 ).…”

Chemical painful post-traumatic trigeminal neuropathy induced by dental bleaching: A case report

“…We followed international recommendations that favor gabapentin and pregabalin in first intention with a preference for pregabalin for its anxiolytic effects. We also added a topical application of methylene blue for its electrochemical properties and possible therapeutic effect in this specific case ( 5 ). However, no clear improvement could be attributed to methylene blue since no decrease in pain occurred.…”