Findings

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Evidence found and GRADE certainty

1,183 questions · 1,283 findings · 30 reviews · Oral medicine and oral cancer

No studies found 164 · 12.8%GRADE not reported 802 · 62.5%Very low 209 · 16.3%Low 71 · 5.5%Moderate 36 · 2.8%High 1 · 0.1%

Vitamin A or retinoids (systemic or topical; incl. 13-cis-retinoic acid, acitretin) vs placebo or no treatment

Clinical resolution (oral lesion not completely resolved) · People with a diagnosis of oral leukoplakia
1 finding from 1 review
  • Interventions for treating oral leukoplakia to prevent oral cancer 2016 · Cochrane All outcomes
    4 to 12 months
    SoF 1, Clinical resolution (not completely resolved) at 4 to 12 months: 'Studies could not be combined in meta-analysis. One study evaluated topical treatment and did not find evidence of benefit; 3 studies of systemic…
    4 studies
    GRADE not reported

Dietary supplements (Catuama herbal compound) vs placebo

Somnolence · People with primary burning mouth syndrome (BMS), that is, oral mucosal pain with no dental or medical cause for such symptoms

It is very uncertain whether dietary supplements (Catuama herbal compound) changes adverse effects: drowsiness compared with placebo (very low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Benzodiazepines (topical clonazepam) vs placebo

Somnolence · People with primary burning mouth syndrome (BMS), that is, oral mucosal pain with no dental or medical cause for such symptoms

It is very uncertain whether benzodiazepines (topical clonazepam) changes adverse effects: drowsiness compared with placebo (very low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Herbal extracts (tea components; Chinese herbal mixture; freeze-dried black raspberry gel) vs placebo or no treatment

Clinical resolution (oral lesion not completely resolved) · People with a diagnosis of oral leukoplakia
1 finding from 1 review
  • SoF 4, Clinical resolution (not completely resolved) at 3 to 6 months: '3 studies (freeze-dried black raspberry gel, green tea extract capsules, mixed tea) did not find evidence of benefit.' No GRADE. Effects text:…
    4 studies
    GRADE not reported

Benzodiazepines (topical clonazepam) vs placebo

Adverse effects: dry mouth · People with primary burning mouth syndrome (BMS), that is, oral mucosal pain with no dental or medical cause for such symptoms

It is very uncertain whether benzodiazepines (topical clonazepam) changes adverse effects: dry mouth compared with placebo (very low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Systemic beta carotene or carotenoids (incl. lycopene) vs placebo or no treatment

Improvement of histological features (not improved) · People with a diagnosis of oral leukoplakia

Systemic beta carotene or carotenoids (incl. lycopene) may leads to lower improvement of histological features (not improved) compared with placebo or no treatment (low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Bowman-Birk inhibitor vs placebo or no treatment

Improvement of histological features (not improved) · People with a diagnosis of oral leukoplakia
1 finding from 1 review
  • SoF 6, Histological changes: 'Not measured'. Effects text: data on histological changes from Armstrong 2013 were not available for analysis, but study authors reported no statistically significant differences in…
    1 study
    GRADE not reported

Cholinergics (bethanechol 15 mg/day) vs placebo

Adverse effects (narrative) · People with primary burning mouth syndrome (BMS), that is, oral mucosal pain with no dental or medical cause for such symptoms
1 finding from 1 review
  • Interventions for treating burning mouth syndrome 2016 · Cochrane All outcomes
    short-term (up to 3 months)
    SoF4. Adverse effects: single study narratively reported 4 participants (20%) in the bethanechol arm experienced adverse events (nausea, dizziness, blood pressure fall, cold perspiration or sporadic abdominal pain);…
    1 study · 40 participants
    Very low

Anticonvulsants (gabapentin + alpha lipoic acid) vs placebo

Somnolence · People with primary burning mouth syndrome (BMS), that is, oral mucosal pain with no dental or medical cause for such symptoms

It is very uncertain whether anticonvulsants (gabapentin + alpha lipoic acid) changes adverse effects: drowsiness compared with placebo (very low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Physical barriers (tongue protector) vs placebo

Change in QoL - anxiety (surrogate marker) · People with primary burning mouth syndrome (BMS), that is, oral mucosal pain with no dental or medical cause for such symptoms

It is very uncertain whether physical barriers (tongue protector) changes change in QoL - anxiety (surrogate marker) compared with placebo (very low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Cholinergics (bethanechol 15 mg/day) vs placebo

Relief of burning/discomfort (symptom relief; pain intensity) · People with primary burning mouth syndrome (BMS), that is, oral mucosal pain with no dental or medical cause for such symptoms

It is very uncertain whether cholinergics (bethanechol 15 mg/day) changes relief of burning/discomfort (symptom relief; pain intensity) compared with placebo (very low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Psychological therapies (cognitive therapy) vs placebo

Relief of burning/discomfort (symptom relief; pain intensity) · People with primary burning mouth syndrome (BMS), that is, oral mucosal pain with no dental or medical cause for such symptoms

It is very uncertain whether psychological therapies (cognitive therapy) changes relief of burning/discomfort (symptom relief; pain intensity) compared with placebo (very low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Gabapentin vs placebo

QoL · People with primary burning mouth syndrome (BMS), that is, oral mucosal pain with no dental or medical cause for such symptoms

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

1 finding from 1 review

Dietary supplements (Catuama herbal compound) vs placebo

Adverse effects: insomnia · People with primary burning mouth syndrome (BMS), that is, oral mucosal pain with no dental or medical cause for such symptoms

It is very uncertain whether dietary supplements (Catuama herbal compound) changes adverse effects: insomnia compared with placebo (very low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Topical treatments (capsaicin oral rinse) vs placebo

Relief of burning/discomfort (symptom relief; pain intensity) · People with primary burning mouth syndrome (BMS), that is, oral mucosal pain with no dental or medical cause for such symptoms
2 findings from 1 review
  • Interventions for treating burning mouth syndrome 2016 · Cochrane All outcomes
    short-term (up to 3 months) · capsaicin oral rinse
    Capsaicin oral rinse (Marino 2010; Silvestre 2012) contributes to the topical treatments short-term symptom-relief comparison (insufficient/contradictory). Silvestre 2012 data not presented due to 23% first-phase…
    1 study
    GRADE not reported
  • Interventions for treating burning mouth syndrome 2016 · Cochrane All outcomes
    long-term (>3 to 6 months) · capsaicin oral rinse
    MD -2.60 [-5.11, -0.09]
    1 study · 18 participants
    Very low

Alpha‐lipoic acid vs placebo

Change in feeling of dryness · People with primary burning mouth syndrome (BMS), that is, oral mucosal pain with no dental or medical cause for such symptoms

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

1 finding from 1 review

Dietary supplements (alpha lipoic acid +/- adjunctive ingredients) vs placebo

Adverse effects: intermittent facial skin rash · People with primary burning mouth syndrome (BMS), that is, oral mucosal pain with no dental or medical cause for such symptoms

It is very uncertain whether dietary supplements (alpha lipoic acid +/- adjunctive ingredients) changes adverse effects: intermittent facial skin rash compared with placebo (very low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Systemic beta carotene or carotenoids (incl. lycopene) vs placebo or no treatment

Malignant transformation (oral cancer development) · People with a diagnosis of oral leukoplakia

It is very uncertain whether systemic beta carotene or carotenoids (incl. lycopene) changes oral cancer development compared with placebo or no treatment (very low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Amisulpride (antipsychotic, 50 mg/day) vs placebo

Relief of burning/discomfort (symptom relief; pain intensity) · People with primary burning mouth syndrome (BMS), that is, oral mucosal pain with no dental or medical cause for such symptoms
1 finding from 1 review
  • Interventions for treating burning mouth syndrome 2016 · Cochrane All outcomes
    short-term (up to 3 months)
    Bogetto 1999 (amisulpride) included in the antidepressants/antipsychotics comparison but data not presented due to excessive attrition (19/24; 79%) in the placebo arm.
    1 study
    GRADE not reported