Bulimia can provoke severe and sometimes irreversible damage to your teeth and gums. In order to avoid the consequences, it’s recommended to treat your bulimia as soon as possible. Specialists classify bulimia as an eating disorder that occurs when people binge eat and then vomit. Sometimes people with bulimia try fasting, use laxatives or exercise too much. The dentist may be the first to recognize bulimia since the disorder always has an impact on dental health.
What factors can provoke this mental health problem? Poor self-esteem, family dynamics, body dysmorphia, and even stress can lead to bulimia. This is an insidious health problem since it can exacerbate the likelihood of many other conditions like alcoholism, anxiety, and depression. The symptoms of bulimia include:
- Regularly eating large portions of food in one sitting
- Feeling that you are unable to stop eating or control the amount of food that you eat
- Deep regret after bingeing, followed by vomiting to avoid weight gain
- Using laxatives or diuretics after eating
- Fasting, restricting calories or avoiding certain foods between binges
- Living in fear of gaining weight
How Does Bulimia Affect Teeth?
Bulimia can affect the heart, digestive system, kidneys as well as teeth. Let’s review the ways bulimia affects teeth:
- Increases the number of bad bacteria
People with bulimia have higher levels of cavity-causing bacteria in their mouth than others. This is quite dangerous especially when the enamel is wearing down due to regular vomiting. This causes rapidly progressive tooth decay. - Causes gum inflammation
Gingivitis and periodontal disease are almost inevitable with bulimia. Stomach acid causes inflammation and severe damage. It’s important to recognize early gingivitis to avoid disease progression and tooth loss. - Provokes tooth erosion
When a person regularly vomits their teeth are constantly exposed to stomach acids. These acids are essential in breaking down food but when they get in the mouth due to purging, problems occur. Stomach acids corrode tooth enamel weakening the teeth and leading to multiple cavities and tooth loss. - Changes shape, texture, and color of the teeth
When exposed to stomach acid the teeth may begin to yellow, become more brittle, or have a more porous texture. According to one study, 46% of patients with bulimia noticed changes in their teeth. This is often happening due to a structural weakening of the tooth itself. These changes can also result in chipping. - Lead to bite problems
With constant tooth erosion, your teeth change their shape which often affects the bite. Back teeth are especially sensitive to long-term erosion, and people with bulimia could even lose them over time. If this happens, your bite could become improper. - Causes tooth sensitivity
Bulimia and the accompanying vomiting can lead to pain caused by progressive tooth decay. When tooth enamel wears down, this makes the teeth more sensitive to cold foods, warm foods, and sweets. Mostly, people with bulimia experience moderate to severe sensitivity. - Provokes dry mouth
This symptom may not seem serious but, in fact, this can result in many problems. Saliva and oral hydration are crucial to your dental health. Stomach acid often irritates salivary glands which leads to difficulty swallowing. Moreover, the presence of saliva protects your teeth from tooth decay, while its absence can worsen cavities, which are already provoked by erosion.
About 50% of patients with bulimia are estimated to have swelling in salivary glands. Dry mouth can even change the tastes of the foods you eat. A dry mouth is also associated with bad breath. - Leads to demineralization
People with bulimia nervosa often experience malnourishment due to purging essential nutrients. This can create many serious health issues and result in tooth demineralization. If left ignored, bulimia can lead to severe vitamin deficiencies, which cause a lack of nutrients important for keeping dental health. - Provokes inflammation of the mouth and sores
The eroding effect of stomach acids also affects the skin in your mouth and throat and provokes inflammation and even ulcers. Painful sores can emerge, swell, and become infected, resulting in a chronic sore throat and aching mouth.