Eating disorders are a serious problem that come with serious consequences — but did you know that they can affect your dental/oral health amongst other things? The negative effects of an ED on your mouth can fluctuate in severity depending entirely on the individual. In this blog post, our team at Weston Dental Office would like to explain some of the main symptoms your mouth & teeth undergo while suffering with these disorders, as well as explain some common ED’s to gain some contextual ground. 

Anorexia 

Anorexia nervosa is a disorder that limits people’s intake of both food and drink. People with anorexia will commonly have a fear of gaining weight/eating food. A lot of people with this disorder will also attribute their worth to their weight and calorie intake. When these people eat too much, they will likely end up punishing themselves. This can be done through a number of ways, but some of the most common happen to be exercise, vomiting and laxative usage. 

Binge Eating 

Binge eating is known as the pattern to eat large quantities of food/drink without feeling like they are in control of their own actions. These binges can be planned ahead of time, leading the person to buy “special” foods to binge on. In other cases, the eating pattern can be completely out of the blue with no rhyme or reason.  

Binge eaters suffer with eating excess amounts of food and it is not something that is considered enjoyable. This type of eating pattern causes a lot of stress and shame in certain people, and can in turn mess with one’s self esteem.  

Common characteristics of binge eaters include eating faster than normal, eating when you are not hungry, eating until you are uncomfortably full, eating alone due to embarrassment and disgust, etc.  

Bulimia 

Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder that involves a pattern of binging and purging consequentially. To meet the criteria of this disorder, you must have a visible pattern of binging (excessively eating in a short period of time) and purging afterwards (ridding yourself of calories through exercise, laxatives or vomiting). 

There are more specific binge patterns that can be found in individuals with bulimia, and each case varies with each individual. Matter of fact, many people who would be clinically diagnosed with bulimia may be considered a healthy weight, making the disorder go unnoticed in certain situations. Common symptoms from people suffering with bulimia include fatigue, bloating, irregular menstrual cycles and pain in the abdomen. 

How Do These Disorders Affect Your Oral Health? 

All of the ED’s we stated above have the potential to greatly affect the health of your teeth and mouth. Some of these negative effects include: 

• Erosion of the enamel 
• Enlarged salivary glands 
• Decay of the teeth 
• Increased teeth sensitivity 
• Dry mouth 
• Mouth bruising/injury 
• Dry or chapped lips 
• Mouth sores 

How Our Clinic Can Help 

When you are suffering with an eating disorder, it is crucial that you reach out and get the help you need. In a lot of cases, therapists and dentists will be able to recognize the early signs of ED’s. We know it can be hard, but it is important that you try to be as honest as possible with your healthcare workers so they can come up with a treatment that works best for you and your needs. 

When you are in need of dental care and want to work with a team you can trust fully, we here at Weston Dental Office can help. Our team understands that your health and safety is of top priority, meaning our clinic will do everything in its power to make sure your experience with us is comfortable. To learn more about our general dentistry in Toronto, be sure to call our front desk at 416-247-1928 today. We look forward to helping you in any way we possibly can.