Thorough oral examination
We examine the tongue, floor of mouth, palate and cheeks under good light, look for sharp edges, thrush, lichen planus and geographic tongue, check saliva flow and, where appropriate, take a swab.
About this treatmentDental condition · Wimpole Street, Marylebone
Sore tongue and burning mouth: separating what you can see from what you can only feel
A tongue that stings, a palate that feels scalded or a mouth that burns as though you have just drunk something too hot, when you have not, is more common than most people realise and has two broad explanations. The first is that something is visibly wrong: a rough tooth edge rubbing the tongue, a patch of thrush, a geographic tongue with its shifting red maps, an ulcer, a deficiency that has thinned the surface or a reaction to a toothpaste or a food. These are found on examination and addressed directly. The second is that the mouth looks entirely normal and yet burns, often worsening through the day and easing with eating, a pattern that has the name burning mouth syndrome and is thought to involve the small nerves that carry taste and sensation misfiring. It affects women after the menopause far more than anyone else and is real, not imagined. Our role at Wimpole Street is to examine the mouth thoroughly, treat or refer whatever we find, and, where nothing is found, explain what that means and work with your GP on the options. A red or white patch, or a sore spot that has lasted more than three weeks, is always examined promptly whatever else is going on.
Recognising it
How it usually feels
Burning or scalded feeling on the tongue tip, palate or lips
Often mild on waking and building through the day.
A smooth, red or glossy tongue
Loss of the normal surface texture; can indicate a deficiency or anaemia.
Red patches with white borders that move over weeks
Geographic tongue, a harmless condition that can sting with acidic food.
Soreness in one spot beside a tooth or denture
Mechanical irritation from a sharp edge or rough surface.
Altered taste, dryness or a metallic flavour
Frequently accompany burning mouth and point to nerve or saliva involvement.
Relief when eating or chewing gum
Characteristic of burning mouth syndrome rather than of a physical lesion.
Behind the symptoms
What's going on
- 01
Mechanical irritation
A chipped tooth, a rough filling, a sharp denture edge, a broken orthodontic wire or habitual tongue thrusting against the teeth all rub the same spot repeatedly. The tongue becomes sore, sometimes ulcerated, exactly where it contacts the offender.
- 02
Oral thrush
Yeast overgrowth can present as a red, sore tongue with or without white patches, particularly in denture wearers, inhaler users, after antibiotics or with a dry mouth. It responds to an antifungal once diagnosed.
- 03
Nutritional deficiency and anaemia
Low iron, vitamin B12, folate or B vitamins thin the tongue surface and inflame it, producing burning and a smooth, pale or beefy-red appearance. A blood test through your GP is a routine first step for an unexplained sore tongue.
- 04
Dry mouth
Without enough saliva the lining is unprotected and the tongue feels raw and sticky. Many common medicines, anxiety, mouth breathing and conditions such as Sjögren’s syndrome reduce flow.
- 05
Allergy and irritants
Cinnamon flavouring, sodium lauryl sulphate in toothpaste, some mouthwashes, acidic foods and, less commonly, dental materials or denture acrylic can inflame the tongue and lining in susceptible people.
- 06
Burning mouth syndrome
Burning in a mouth that looks normal, with tests showing nothing, is thought to involve dysfunction of the small sensory nerves and altered pain processing. It is associated with the menopause, anxiety, depression and certain medicines, and is managed rather than removed.
Before your appointment
What you can do today
- Change to a mild, flavour-free toothpaste without sodium lauryl sulphate and stop any mouthwash for a few weeks to see whether the burning eases.
- Avoid cinnamon, mint, very acidic or spicy foods and fizzy drinks, which irritate a sensitive lining.
- Sip cold water through the day and suck ice chips or sugar-free sweets, which soothe burning and stimulate saliva.
- If a tooth or denture edge is catching your tongue, cover it with orthodontic wax until it can be smoothed.
- Keep a brief diary of when the burning is worst and what eases it; the pattern helps with diagnosis.
- Ask your GP for a blood test for iron, B12, folate and glucose if you have not had one recently.
These are holding measures, not a substitute for an examination. Use any pain relief exactly as directed on the pack and check with a pharmacist if you take other medicines.
In the chair
How we treat it at Wimpole Street
Removing physical irritants
Sharp cusps and filling edges are polished, broken teeth rebuilt and rough denture surfaces smoothed or relined, which resolves mechanical soreness within days.
About this treatmentAntifungal treatment
Where thrush is confirmed, a topical antifungal is prescribed and the underlying reason, such as an inhaler or a denture worn overnight, is addressed so that it does not recur.
About this treatmentManaging dry mouth
Saliva substitutes, stimulants and a review of contributing medicines with your GP, together with fluoride to protect the teeth, since a dry mouth raises decay risk.
About this treatmentLiaison with your GP and specialists
We write to your GP requesting blood tests where a deficiency is suspected, and refer to oral medicine for burning mouth syndrome or any lesion needing biopsy. Treatments for the syndrome include topical clonazepam and low-dose medicines that calm nerve pain.
About this treatmentFees
Costs to expect
An examination at Wimpole Street to investigate a sore or burning mouth, including a full soft-tissue check, is expected to be £95. Smoothing a sharp edge found at that visit is normally included. Repairing a broken filling or chipped tooth that is rubbing the tongue is from £185.
Antifungal and other prescriptions are dispensed by a pharmacy at the standard charge. Denture adjustments are quoted at the visit, with relines and replacements priced from the denture fee range of £795 to £1,395. Referral letters to your GP or to oral medicine are provided without additional charge.
Figures are indicative prices for Wimpole Street and are confirmed in a written plan once a dentist has examined you. Fees match our South Kensington and St Paul's clinics.
Don't wait if
When to see a dentist
- A sore spot, lump or red or white patch on the tongue has lasted three weeks or more.
- Numbness or a change in sensation in part of the tongue.
- Burning that is affecting sleep, eating or your mood.
- Soreness in one place that coincides with a tooth, filling or denture edge.
- A smooth, red or coated tongue alongside tiredness or breathlessness.
- Burning that started after a new medicine, denture or toothpaste.
FAQ
Common questions
It is the term for a persistent burning sensation in a mouth that looks normal on examination and where blood tests and swabs are clear. It is thought to arise from the small sensory nerves in the mouth behaving abnormally and is most common in women after the menopause. It is a genuine condition with recognised treatments, even though nothing is visible.
Rarely, but it is the reason we examine every sore tongue carefully. Features that need prompt assessment are a sore spot, ulcer or lump lasting more than three weeks, a red or white patch that does not go away, or unexplained numbness. Most such findings prove harmless, and early assessment is simply the sensible course.
This is characteristic of burning mouth syndrome. Chewing and taste stimulate the nerves and saliva in a way that appears to override the abnormal burning signal, and many patients find relief with food, gum or ice. Soreness from a physical cause, by contrast, usually worsens with eating.
We can exclude and treat the dental causes, which is the essential first step, and we can suggest measures that ease symptoms. Medicines for the syndrome itself are usually prescribed through your GP or an oral medicine clinic, and we refer and share our findings so that you are not starting from scratch.
No. It is a harmless, common condition in which the surface texture of the tongue is lost in patches that migrate over days or weeks, sometimes stinging with acidic or spicy food. It needs no treatment beyond avoiding triggers, though it is worth having it confirmed, since other conditions can look similar.
Marylebone, W1
Wimpole Street opens 1 October 2026
Leave your details and we will be in touch when the Marylebone diary opens. If the problem cannot wait, the same clinicians are already seeing patients in South Kensington and at St Paul's.
Related conditions
Opening 1 October 2026
Wimpole Street is not yet seeing patients. Until then, please book or call our South Kensington clinic on 020 7183 2362 or our St Paul's clinic on 020 7183 3709. Questions about the new clinic: wimpolestreet@md.co.uk.
Until we open
Need an appointment before 1 October 2026?
The same clinical team already works from two other Medical & Dental clinics. Book at either one now and, if you prefer, move your ongoing care to Wimpole Street once the doors open.
South Kensington
- 20 Old Brompton Road, London SW7 3DL
- Open seven days a week
- 020 7183 2362
St Paul's, City of London
- 5 Ave Maria Lane, London EC4M 7AQ
- Open Monday to Friday
- 020 7183 3709
