Eating disorders are devastating mental health issues that impact countless people globally. Some people with these conditions may feel pressured to cut back on food intake or increase their level of physical activity in an effort to maintain a healthy weight or improve their health.
Oral health problems can develop as a result of binge eating disorders, bulimia, and anorexia, which are characterized by severely under or over-exercised bodies. A dentist in Bessemer City, NC can help save your teeth.
The most common signs and symptoms of each disease are listed below:
Anorexia: what is it?
Additionally, people with anorexia often develop a fear of gaining weight and an obsession with food and food labels. They may cut out food, induce vomiting, or use laxatives or enemas in an attempt to lose weight. Certain anorexics experience an unhealthy fixation with one’s weight. Dental issues might develop as a result of anorexics’ severely restricted diet, which can exacerbate their preoccupation with food and weight.
Defining bulimia
Oral health issues are common among bulimia nervosa sufferers. While you are in the middle of a binge eating cycle, your saliva production drops since your stomach and mouth are both empty. As a result, you can find yourself with a dry mouth, which in turn increases your risk of cavities and gum disease.
In addition to increasing the risk of oral disorders, including mouth cancer, dry mouth can affect your tongue and oral tissues. Conversely, research suggests that improving oral health can be a side effect of treating eating disorders.
What is “binge eating disorder”?
Those who experience binge eating disorder (BED) often find themselves unable to control their food intake, leading to rapid and easy weight gain. Feelings of shame and guilt following a binge can make it difficult for people with binge eating disorder to eat healthily again. Some people with BED find that purging after meals helps them cope with the emotions of boredom, anxiety, and isolation that come along with eating.
How eating disorders impact the patient’s dental health
Dysfunction in the body could be caused by the potentially hazardous effects of vitamin and mineral shortages. Some oral symptoms that might indicate an eating disorder include tooth sensitivity, cavities, dry mouth, mouth ulcers, enamel erosion, and other similar issues.
Regular dental examinations allow the dentist to detect tooth deterioration and other oral health issues. When used to induce vomiting, forceps provide a risk of injury.
