How Can Eating Disorders Affect Your Oral Health?
Eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder can all have negative effects on the health of your mouth. People with anorexia tend to limit their intake of food and drink, as well as attempt to get rid of excess calories and weight through exercise, vomiting, taking laxatives, or using enemas. Bulimia nervosa is a binge eating disorder and is diagnosed based on binge-purge patterns of sufferers. Binge eaters will often take in large quantities of food and/or drink without feeling like they are in control of what they are doing. Potential negative effects of vitamin and nutrient deficiencies can cause the body to shut down and not function properly and that will also be reflected in the mouth. Revealing oral signs of eating disorders include enamel erosion, dry mouth, enlarged salivary glands, cracked/dry lips, mouth sores, tooth decay, sensitive teeth, and bruising and/or injury to the mouth. Those who purge through vomiting can also erode tooth enamel through e...