Eating disorders are a serious concern in one 's health and a clinical challenge to dental professionals. Eating disorders are a category of mental illness that impacts a patient's connection with food and their own body and are characterized by distorted or unusual eating habits. Eating disorders represent a vain attempt to cope with or suppress personal conflicts and problems through preoccupation with food intake and body weight.
Eating disorders can strike anybody but are more common in young women. It is believed that 10-15% of Americans suffer from an eating problem, ranging from anorexia nervosa to bulimia and a variety of others.
Dietary habits can and do play a role in oral health. Often, changes in the mouth are the first somatic symptoms of an eating disorder. Eating disorders have a substantial effect on the health of your smile, increasing your risk of tooth erosion and predisposing your teeth to infection and injury.
They may begin with a fixation with food, weight, or body shape. If left untreated, severe eating disorders can have substantial health repercussions and may even end in death.
Individuals suffering from eating disorders may exhibit a range of symptoms. However, the majority include extreme dietary restrictions, eating binges, or purging behaviors such as vomiting or excessive exercise.
Five prevalent forms of eating disorders are listed here.
1. Anorexia nervosa
In terms of eating disorders, anorexia is probably the most well-known one. Individuals suffering from anorexia nervosa may severely restrict their food intake or compensate for it through various purging habits. They are overly concerned about gaining weight, even when they are dangerously underweight.
2. Bulimia nervosa
Bulimics commonly consume abnormally large amounts of food in a short time. Each binge eating session often lasts until the individual feels painfully full. During a binge, the individual typically feels unable to stop eating or regulate how much they consume. They are afraid of gaining weight despite maintaining a healthy weight.
3. Binge eating disorder
Binge eating is among the most frequent eating disorders, particularly in the United States. Individuals who suffer from binge eating disorders consume vast amounts of food in short periods regularly and uncontrollably. They do not purge, in contrast to those with other eating disorders.
4. Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID)
ARFID is an eating disorder that causes people to undereat. The term "Selective Eating Disorder" was originally used. The cause of ARFID is either due to a lack of interest in food or an intense distaste for how certain foods look, smell or taste. ARFID is comparable to anorexia in that both diseases entail restrictions on the quantity and/or kinds of food ingested. However, unlike anorexia, ARFID is not associated with anguish over one's body form or size or worries of fatness.
5. Purging Disorder
Purging disorder is an eating disorder in which individuals cleanse themselves after meals, either by vomiting or the incorrect use of laxatives, diuretics, enemas, and insulin. At the moment, purging disorder is not recognized as a distinct mental health condition. Individuals with purging disorder often consume regular quantities of food yet purge after ingesting even tiny amounts of food.
How do eating disorders harm teeth?
Eating disorders may have many negative consequences for your smile and dental health. For instance, malnutrition raises your chance of developing periodontal disease and tooth decay, while bulimia exposes your teeth to stomach acids, deteriorating the enamel.
Oral indicators of eating disorders include enlarged salivary glands, mouth sores, dry mouth, bleeding gums, enamel erosion, sensitive teeth, tooth decay, and halitosis.
Nutritional deficiencies
Without enough nourishment, the mouth’s gums and other soft tissue may bleed readily. Salivary glands may enlarge. Chronic dry mouth may occur in certain individuals. Food deprivation often results in nutritional deficiencies. Calcium, iron, and B vitamins are all nutrients that enhance dental health. Inadequate calcium causes tooth decay and gum disease; even if an anorexia patient consumes an adequate amount of calcium, they still need sufficient vitamin D to aid in its absorption. Inadequate iron may promote the growth of oral sores.
Inadequate vitamin B3 (commonly known as niacin) can lead to foul breath and the development of canker sores. Gums may become red, swollen, and nearly shiny, often an indication of gingivitis. Additionally, dehydration may cause the mouth to become parched and the lips to become reddish, dry, and cracked.
Stomach acid across the teeth
Frequent vomiting results in a continuous discharge of powerful stomach acid across the teeth. The outer layer of the tooth (enamel) may deteriorate, causing teeth to alter color, shape, and length, becoming brittle, transparent, and fragile. Excessive teeth cleaning or washing after vomiting might accelerate tooth decay.
Consuming hot or cold food or drink may cause discomfort. Tissue loss and erosive sores on the mouth's surface are possible complications. Teeth edges often grow frail and readily break off. In severe situations, the pulp may be exposed, resulting in infection, discoloration, or even death of the pulp.
TMJ disorders
A dental issue often connected with eating disorders is degenerative arthritis of the temporomandibular joint in the jaw. This joint is located where the lower jaw meets the skull. When this joint develops arthritis, it may result in joint discomfort, persistent headaches, and difficulty chewing and opening/closing the mouth.
Soft palate damage
Purging can result in redness, scratches, and scrapes within the mouth, particularly on the top surface, known as the 'soft palate.' This damage is a red flag for dental specialists since healthy everyday actions rarely damage this region. Scratches or bruises often accompany soft palate injury. A regular binge-and-purge cycle might result in salivary gland hypertrophy, which can cause emotional anguish. Enlarged glands may be uncomfortable and are often apparent to others.
How your dentist can help
The role of a dentist is essential because by obtaining a comprehensive medical history, measuring vital signs, performing a head and neck examination and completing an intraoral examination, and interacting with the patient, the dentist may be the first professional to detect clinical findings involving oral mucosa, teeth, periodontium, salivary glands, and perioral tissues.
Therefore, dental practitioners should have comprehensive knowledge of the oral manifestation of eating disorders to diagnose and influence medical and psychological management progress by providing support and dental care.
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