Refining the Overlap Between Burning Mouth Syndrome and Occlusal Dysesthesia (Phantom Bite Syndrome): Evidence From Clinical and Cerebral Perfusion Studies

Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) and occlusal dysesthesia/phantom bite syndrome (OD/PBS) are clinically distinct but can overlap. BMS is characterised mainly by burning oral pain, whereas OD/PBS is characterised by a persistent uncomfortable bite perception. These different symptom modalities should not be taken as proof of completely separate mechanisms, nor should clinical co-occurrence be taken as proof of identical pathology. The revised framework highlights a partly shared trigeminal somatosensory substrate together with condition-specific sensory processing. Eating-related symptoms and functional performance may dissociate, so both should be assessed separately. The clinical implication is to phenotype overlap carefully and avoid repeated irreversible occlusal interventions for complaints without objective structural explanation.