Prior to accurate diagnosis, patients experiencing symptoms of Burning Mouth Syndrom (BMS) are commonly seen by multiiple clinicians (Grushka et al., 2002, Aggarwal & Panat, 2012). This may lead to heightened anxiety. When compared to healthy controls, patients with BMS report significantly higher depression and anxiety scores (Gao et al., 2009). Although researchers have explored the presence of anxiety and depression in patients with BMS no studies exist regarding the presence of health anxiety in patients with BMS at the time of diagnosis. The question arises whether increased anxiety and depression are primary or secondary events in BMS as chronic pain conditions can produce psychological disturbances.
