Burning mouth syndrome is an oral pain disorder with a prevalence of 5-18% in patient materials. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of Burning mouth syndrome in a representative sample of the general adult population. Altogether 431 subjects (237 females, 194 males) participated in the study. Subjects were questioned about the experience of prolonged burning sensation; the site, severity, pattern, duration and possible associations of the onset of the burning sensation, and a thorough clinical examination was performed. In all, 15% of the subjects had experienced prolonged oral burning but a half of them had some clinically observable oral mucosal lesion or oral candidosis. The prevalence of the complaint was significantly higher in females than in males.