Eating disorders are serious psychological conditions characterized by an unhealthy eating behaviour and relationship with food. Unhealthy eating habits can be influenced by an obsession with food and/or body shape or weight. In most cases, a complex combination of biological, behavioural, psychological, and social factors may also be factors. Eating disorders can affect anyone, but the condition is more common in young women and adolescents. A study reported that, by the age of 20, 13 percent of young individuals may experience at least one eating disorder.
Considered as a medical illness, disordered eating issues require appropriate treatment. While they can be easily treated, its symptoms and consequences can be life-threatening if not addressed immediately. Additionally, eating disorders can be accompanied by depression, anxiety disorders, and substance abuse.
No matter what eating disorder a person may suffer from, it deprives him/her of vitamins, minerals, and essential nutrients to keep the body in good health. Long-term lack of vitamins and nutrients could result in serious health problems affecting the vital organs, muscles, and even your oral health.
Types of Eating Disorder
Eating disorders are a serious medical condition that impacts a person’s health, emotions, and relationships. While many associate eating disorders with food, they are more about feelings and how the person interacts with food to make them feel in control or more able to cope.
These are the most well-known types of eating disorders:
- Anorexia Nervosa – This type of eating disorder is common in young teens and adult individuals and is more prevalent in women. Anorexic people tend to consider themselves as overweight when in fact they are dangerously underweight. These people have restricted eating patterns due to their unreasonable fear of gaining weight despite being severely underweight. This causes them to have a distorted body image and they are often obsessed with keeping a thin, unhealthy weight. People who suffer from anorexia tend to exercise more frequently and excessively and/or force themselves to vomit.
- Bulimia Nervosa – Like anorexia, bulimia is more common in women during their adolescent years and early adulthood . However, bulimic people tend to have frequent episodes of eating unusually large servings of meals. Bulimia can make a person feel the lack of control to stop eating until he or she is painfully full. When a binge-eating episode occurs, there is no restriction of food, even the foods a bulimic person would normally avoid.
A person with bulimia compensates for the calories and alleviates gut discomfort by purging. Among the most common behaviours of purging in bulimic individuals include fasting, using laxatives, enemas, and diuretics, exercising excessively, and forced vomiting. Unlike anorexic individuals, bulimic people maintain normal body weight. However, severe cases of bulimia could result in electrolyte imbalance, which increases a person’s risk of stroke or heart attack.
- Binge-Eating Disorder – Most people with binge-eating disorder are overweight or obese. Like anorexia and bulimia, binge-eating disorder typically develops during adolescence and early adulthood. In some instances, the condition can occur in late adulthood. This may increase their risk of medical complications linked to excess weight, such as heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. Some of its symptoms are similar to those of bulimia, such as eating unusually large amounts of food and losing control over his or her eating. Binge-eaters do not exhibit compensatory behaviours, such as fasting, purging, or excessive exercise.
Eating Disorders: How They Affect Your Oral Health
Dietary habits play a significant factor in oral health. Individuals with an eating disorder may experience various changes in their mouths. The dangerous combination of harmful dental habits, eating disorders, and nutritional deficiencies can have a set of adverse consequences on your dental health.
Over time, a person with an eating disorder may face persistent or even permanent damage to their oral health. However, early detection and proper treatment help to ensure to protect their teeth from the damaging effects of an eating disorder. An oral health professional will help prevent or control the damage by providing them with the right information and appropriate guidance and treatment.
Take note of the various dental effects of eating disorders:
- Lack of proper nutrition may cause the gums and other soft tissues to bleed easily, swelling of the salivary glands, and chronic dry mouth.Restriction of food could result in various nutritional deficiencies. For instance, insufficient calcium increases the risk of tooth decay and gum diseases. Lack of iron causes sores to develop inside your mouth while vitamin B3 or niacin deficiency contributes to bad breath and canker sores.
- Frequent vomiting causes strong stomach acid to coat your teeth. This could result in enamel erosion, which changes the natural colour, shape, and length of the teeth. Over time, the teeth become sensitive, brittle, translucent, and weak, causing the teeth to easily chip off. Severe enamel erosion exposes the pulp, increasing the risk of infection, discolouration, and even pulp death. Vomiting frequently also causes tissue loss and erosive lesions to develop on your mouth’s surface.
- A person with an eating disorder is also likely to suffer from degenerative arthritis within the temporomandibular joint, causing severe pain in the jaw joint area, problems in opening/closing the mouth, and chronic headache.
- Purging causes scratches, cuts, and redness inside the mouth, especially on the soft palate area. Bruises to the soft palate area are usually caused by the knuckles pressed on the area while attempting to purge.
- Enlargement of the salivary gland can also be caused by frequent binging and purging. Enlarged and swollen glands can be painful, which results in emotional distress.
Receiving Dental Care and Treatment
Visiting the dentist every six months is crucial for your oral health. However, be honest with your dentist if you are struggling with an eating disorder. This allows the dental care professional to assess the condition of your mouth, teeth, and gums, as well as provide you with an appropriate treatment plan.
In addition to seeing a therapist specializing in eating disorders, getting professional dental care and treatment are, by far, the most effective way to protect your teeth and keep them in the best shape. Initial dental care treatment may include fluoride gel to strengthen the tooth enamel or a mouthguard to protect your teeth from the effects of purging. To prevent dry mouth and cavities, the dentist may also recommend toothpastes, gums, or mints that contain Xylitol. While some problems may be resolved by placing crowns, veneers, and caps. In some cases, cosmetic dentistry is the right option.
Springdale Dental Centre is a trusted dental clinic in Brampton that provides comprehensive dental care services for patients of all ages in a comfortable and relaxed setting. Call us today at (905) 458-1212 to book an appointment with our licensed dentist in Brampton.
