Bulimia and Dental Health – Repeated vomiting will affect your oral cavity
Dr. B. Kanagasabapathy
[M.D.S. (Ortho), Fellow ICOI]
Bulimia Nervosa, commonly known as Bulimia is an abnormal condition defined as compulsive eating habit. People suffering from this eating disorder consume large amount of foods without any control. Then they indulge in inappropriate activities to get rid of the extra calories.
The unhealthy ways people try to lose weight after overconsumption of food include self-induce vomiting, misusing enemas, excessive use of laxatives after eating, self-induce vomiting, fasting, compulsive exercising, and so on.
Do you know that such repeated vomiting will impact your health in many ways? It causes many life-threatening health problems like gastrointestinal distress, digestive problems, cardiovascular problems, bone loss, etc. Meanwhile, it will have detrimental effects on your mental health like mood swings, suicidal thoughts, and so on.
Apart from your physical and mental health, Bulimia will affect your oral cavity and cause many dental damages that are discussed here. Keep reading to know more.
How does bulimia hurt our dental health?
As people with this chronic eating disorder indulge in repeated vomiting, their teeth will become subjective to the continual exposure of acids from the stomach. Typically, our stomach acids are corrosive enough to break the food particles for digestion.
However, when they nudge our teeth frequently, they will have many disastrous effects on teeth and tissues in the mouth. The common oral dilemmas provoked with bulimia are as follows:
- Dental erosion
- Cavities
- Teeth appear yellow and fragile
- Swollen salivary glands
- Chronic sore throat
- Bleeding gums
- Mouth sores
- Dry mouth
- Soft palate damage
- TMJ pain
- Salivary gland engagement
- Decreased salivary production
- Pain in swallowing
- Chewing difficulties
Such dental illnesses resulting from bulimia should be treated immediately because they take advantage of the existing problems like untreated cavities. It is followed by the dental disorder progression and could lead to the advanced stage.
How can we lessen dental damages due to bulimia?
The adverse effects of repeated cycle of eating and vomiting on your mouth can be minimized with the right precautionary steps accompanied with suitable clinical treatments like dental fillings, revamping broken teeth with bridges, or other appliances.
Here are some possible solutions:
- Don’t brush your teeth immediately after vomiting. This is because the acidic substances deposit over the teeth surface will cause abrasions on enamel when the toothbrush bristles scrape the teeth. Instead, swish your mouth with a cup of water.
- Use fluoridated toothpaste because fluoride is powerful to strengthen your teeth enamel.
- Consult your dentist when you notice any of the mentioned signs and take the medications prescribed him/her.
- Make regular dental visits after encountering the chronic eating disorder to detect the breakout of oral infections through bulimia in the initial stage. In such cases, simple treatments like a fluoride rinse aid in lowering the impact.
Keep in mind that treating the infected teeth or damaged nerves are short term solutions. If you want healthy mouths and avert the bulimia’s complications on your oral cavity, seek the right treatments for this eating disorder.
