Can Dental Exams Be Used to Treat Eating Disorders?

You expect your dentist to find cavities or a poor bite during your child’s dental exam. What you don’t expect them to find is an eating disorder. Dentists are often the first specialist to identify signs of an eating disorder because oral health is quickly affected by behaviors of an eating disorder.

Effects of an Eating Disorder on Oral Health

Common eating disorders that can affect oral health are bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa. Oral health is most drastically affected by bulimia, as a result of purging. While purging, stomach acid enters the mouth and comes in contact with the teeth. When the teeth are repeatedly exposed to stomach acid, the enamel begins to erode. A tell-tale sign of bulimia is more erosion on the upper teeth and less on the lower teeth, as the tongue may partially shield the back of the lower teeth during purging. Patients with bulimia often brush their teeth immediately after purging, which can further damage the teeth. Tooth enamel is softened by stomach acid when purging, and tiny bits of enamel will easily slough off when the teeth are immediately brushed.

How Your Dentist Can Treat an Eating Disorder

If you have a family member with an eating disorder, it’s important to have both a short-term and long-term approach to recovery. The short-term goal is to treat the current damage and minimize future damage. Your dentist can provide a sodium fluoride mouth rinse to treat the current damage and strengthen the enamel. To minimize future damage, encourage your loved one to rinse with water after purging (or water mixed with baking soda to neutralize the acid), then wait an hour before brushing. Your long-term goal should be to support your loved one as they overcome this condition and help them find resources for counseling and therapy.

To learn more about how eating disorders can affect oral health, call or stop by Ridge View Dental in Ogden, Utah.