What is burning mouth syndrome?

If your mouth is suddenly burning but you haven't eaten spicy food, you may be asking yourself what could cause the unpleasant sensation. Burning mouth syndrome is one possible cause, but just what is burning mouth syndrome exactly?

Burning mouth syndrome is a chronic or recurring condition causing a burning sensation in the mouth. The burning can occur in the mouth on the lips, tongue, palate, throat and cheek area and it can become so intense that it feels as if you actually scalded your mouth. This syndrome is also sometimes called stomatodynia or glossodynia.