A recent Straits Times article titled (“More People Seeking Help for Eating Disorders here”, 1 January 2011, ST) reported that doctors have seen a sharp increase in people being treated for eating disorders. These eating disorders not only cause drastic damage to the sufferer’s health – they can also have detrimental effects on their dental health.
Dentists can usually tell if their patients are suffering from an eating disorder. This is because the sufferer’s gums and teeth will show clear signs of damage. If not treated early, the damage can be irreparable and in severe cases, it can even lead to complete tooth loss.
There are two main types of eating disorders – anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. In the former, sufferers have an excessive fear of gaining weight and refuse to eat in order to achieve a lower than normal weight. In bulimia, sufferers of this disorder often binge eat before eventually resorting to any means necessary to vomit the food they have eaten.
When people suffer from anorexia, the constant refusal of food causes a significant decrease in the production of saliva, which is needed to clean the teeth. This refusal also causes a dry mouth with red, chapped lips. People with bulimia are also at risk of tooth decay, tooth loss and gum disease caused by excessive vomiting because stomach acid erodes tooth enamel. Tooth erosion is accelerated as the frequency of vomiting increases.
To prevent further damage to eroded teeth, dentists can use crowns, composite restorations (which are tooth-colored materials designed to replace tooth enamel) or veneers to protect the tooth enamel from further wear.
Sensitive teeth, bleeding gums (due to gum disease or gum erosion), discomfort and discolored teeth are all signs of poor dental health caused by eating disorders. However, damage to the teeth of people with eating disorders can be repaired if they visit their dentist regularly to protect their teeth from further damage.
