In 96 patients who visited our hospital with
glossodynia, we conducted gustatory tests, measured serum
zinc and
copper levels, examined lingual papillae using biomicroscopy, conducted psychological tests and investigated the effectiveness of treatments directed at the cause of
dysgeusia. Gustatory test results showed that 43 (44.8%) of the patients had
dysgeusia, which was mild in 62.8%, moderate in 30.2% and severe in 7.0%. By giving higher priority to treatment of
dysgeusia than to
glossodynia,
pain disappeared or was relieved and gustatory sensation improved in 27 (62.8%) of these 43 patients. Overall,
pain disappeared or was improved in 65 (67.7%) cases. When treating
glossodynia, it is important to diagnose the cause of
pain and to give higher priority to treating that cause. The clinical efficacy of treatment for
glossodynia will be improved when the presence or absence of
dysgeusia is diagnosed early in the course of treatment.