Can Eating Disorders Hurt Your Teeth?

Struggling with an eating disorder is extremely difficult mentally, emotionally, and physically. Many people hesitate to seek medical attention for issues related to their eating disorder because they’re afraid of being judged. If you’re looking for help managing oral health problems because of an eating disorder in Winter Park, our team at Anderson Family Dental is here to provide compassionate, judgment-free care.

Let’s take a look at how eating disorders can damage your teeth, what you can do to protect your teeth at home, and how our team can help your smile look and feel its best again.

HOW CAN EATING DISORDERS AFFECT ORAL HEALTH?

Eating disorders are serious conditions that affect a person’s relationship with food, body shape, or weight. These disorders involve compulsive, unhealthy behaviors that can affect many aspects of a person’s physical and mental well-being.

While eating disorders manifest in different ways, they can all have serious impacts on your oral health.

Anorexia

Anorexia is an eating disorder that involves severely restricting food intake. This can stem from an intense fear of gaining weight or a distorted body image. Over time, this leads to malnutrition, which starves the body of essential vitamins and minerals that keep your teeth and gums healthy.

Bulimia

Bulimia involves eating and then purging food, frequently by inducing vomiting. In addition to causing malnutrition, bulimia repeatedly exposes the oral cavity to stomach acid. This can erode tooth enamel, weakening your teeth and causing cavities, sensitivity, and breakdown. It can also damage the gums, leading to severe recession and chronic irritation.

Binge Eating

Binge eating involves episodes of eating a lot of food in a short period of time. It can also involve hiding food and sneaking it at times when others are unlikely to be around, such as at night. Frequent snacking, especially on sugary or starchy foods, or eating at night and then going to bed without brushing, can increase the risk of tooth decay and gum disease.

Orthorexia

Orthorexia is an intense obsession with restrictive eating to maintain a “healthy” diet. People with orthorexia tend to cut more and more foods out of their diet or only eat specific foods that they identify as “clean.” It can also involve an intense fear of foods that are “toxic” to the body. This can lead to imbalanced eating, which can result in malnutrition and simultaneous nutrient overdoses. If the sufferer’s fixation involves eating acidic foods like citrus too frequently, the disorder can harm the teeth directly.

HOW TO PROTECT YOUR SMILE IF YOU HAVE AN EATING DISORDER

The most important thing you can do to protect your oral health is to get in touch with a support group or qualified mental health specialist with experience helping people overcome disordered eating. However, this can be a long process, and there are steps you can take to protect your teeth in the meantime.

1. Use plenty of fluoride

Aside from bulimia, other eating disorders can lead to enamel erosion due to reflux, lack of sufficient minerals in the diet, frequent sugar or acid exposure in food, or a generally more acidic oral environment. 

This can lead to teeth that look glassy, dark, or yellow. It can also make your teeth incredibly sensitive and lead them to chip and crack easily, in addition to making it more likely that you’ll get severe cavities.

Using plenty of high-quality fluoride products is the best way to prevent enamel loss. Our team may recommend:

• Prescription fluoride products

• Non-abrasive toothpastes

• Strengthening mouth rinses

• Custom fluoride trays to wear at home

• Fluoride varnish after dental cleanings 

If your teeth are already eroded or weak, we may recommend protecting them with restorations like dental crowns, which can help to minimize sensitivity and prevent the damage from progressing.

2. Brush well, but only at the right time

Plaque buildup can be incredibly destructive, especially if your teeth and gums are already weakened by an eating disorder. Brush at least twice a day with proper technique, and floss at least once a day. This will keep damaging bacteria under control and support healthier teeth and gums.

However, if your eating disorder causes episodes of vomiting or reflux, or involves eating very acidic foods, it’s important that you wait at least 20 minutes before brushing your teeth. Right after acid exposure, the enamel is “softer,” and brushing immediately can actually rub away more enamel. 

Instead, swish with water or fluoride mouthwash to cleanse the mouth, then brush after the pH has returned to normal.

3. Try to stay hydrated

Eating disorders can cause dry mouth (also called xerostomia). Even if you drink plenty of water, it’s hard for the body to stay properly hydrated without important electrolytes from food. Malnutrition and frequent vomiting can also cause the salivary glands to stop producing enough saliva.

Dry mouth leads to many oral health problems, from severe tooth decay to painful sores and inflamed tissues in the mouth. 

Dehydration is a major issue among people with eating disorders. On the other hand, eating disorders can also lead people to compulsively drink too much water as a substitute for food or to “cleanse” the body. Overhydration is dangerous, and it’s important to talk to a doctor about how to stay properly hydrated while managing your disorder.

To combat the effects of dry mouth, saliva substitutes in the form of gels, lozenges, and mouth rinses can be incredibly helpful. Our team can help you find the right product for your specific situation.

CAN A DENTIST TELL IF YOU HAVE AN EATING DISORDER?

In many cases, yes. While we may not be able to pinpoint exactly what’s going on, we can usually recognize signs such as thin enamel, damaged gum tissue, or enlarged salivary glands.

Many people with eating disorders avoid seeing a dentist because they feel ashamed or they’re worried about being judged. Our team at Anderson Family Dental is here to provide 100% judgement-free dental care for people with eating disorders in Winter Park. 

If you’re worried that your eating disorder could be hurting your teeth, get in touch to schedule a consultation. We’ll help you come up with effective strategies to keep your smile looking and feeling its best.

SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT

---

Dr. Bryant Anderson, DMD

Dr. Bryant Anderson, dentist in Winter Park, FL, knew from a young age that he wanted to become a dentist. He studied Biology and Chemistry at Utah Valley University. He continued his education at the University of Florida College of Dentistry earning his Doctorate in Dental Medicine. As a top-ranking graduate in his dental class, Dr. Bryant Anderson was inducted into the dental honor society OKU. READ MORE