Q: Can an eating disorder affect teeth?
A: Eating disorders like anorexia nervosa and bulimia can definitely have a negative impact on teeth, not to mention their more serious impact on general health. These conditions can occur in males, but it is generally adolescent females and those in their 20's who are most likely to develop an eating disorder. Anorexia nervosa is a condition characterized by an irrational fear of gaining weight. The victim will push herself to a state of malnutrition by not eating or by using laxatives or self-induced vomiting to avoid weight gain. Bulimia is a condition in which a person indulges a craving for food with a binge of eating, but then induces vomiting.
Stomach acid generated in vomiting can erode teeth. So a continuing pattern of vomiting will have a noticeable impact on teeth, which will appear worn and yellow. Because of this, it is often a dentist who is the first to detect signs of an eating disorder. Talk with your dentist for more information about normal and abnormal eating patterns.
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