Abstract
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is a chronic pain disorder of the oral cavity in the absence of organic disease and is prevalent among menopausal women. Estrogen may be involved in the formation of nerves involved in pain. METHODS: This paper presents an inferred mechanism for the relationship between estrogen and BMS based on a synthesis and interpretation of findings from a selection of published studies. RESULTS: Estrogen influences the formation of neural circuits in BMS by dividing the complex pain circuit into the following three components: the peripheral pain circuit, brain network pain circuit, and memorized pain circuit. CONCLUSIONS: The development of BMS may be influenced by the formation of neural circuits by sex hormones.