Some patients with atrophic glossitis (AG) present with a specific additional symptom: dysfunction of taste (hypogeusia). This concurrent impairment defines a distinct clinical sub-group that warrants a targeted management approach beyond standard AG care.
The patient has atrophic glossitis accompanied by dysfunction of taste. This co-occurring taste impairment is the key feature guiding the additional component of the treatment plan described in this protocol.
For AG patients presenting with dysfunction of taste, the protocol incorporates a specific supplementation strategy alongside standard care — involving a targeted mineral known to influence taste-related salivary function. The complete regimen, including the full supplement protocol and duration, is available in the structured protocol.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jfma.2019.04.015
In addition, for those AG patients with dysfunction of taste (n = 22), additional supplementation of zinc (two tablets per day for 2 months and one tablet per day thereafter; each tablet contained 10 mg of zinc) is given to the patients.
Zinc supplementation can increase salivary gustin level and thus improve taste function in AG patients with hypogeusia.
The end point of vitamins, iron or zinc supplement treatments is the disappearance of all oral symptoms including the burning sensation of oral mucosa (91 patients), dry mouth (71 patients), numbness of the tongue (51 patients), and dysfunction of taste (22 patients).
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