Can Eating Disorders Affect Your Teeth?
People that are battling with eating disorders, expose themselves to many potential dental problems with devastating effects. Such effects could include loosing of your teeth, gum problems and erosion of the enamel as a result of teeth being bathed in stomach acid. Another effect is your enamel will be worn out and in some cases your teeth will even appear black. In addition, people with eating disorders lack necessary nutrients which can result in osteoporosis, weakening of the bones in the jaw that support your teeth and can lead to tooth loss. More so, they will have jagged edges on the top teeth surfaces, causing lower teeth to hit wrong “places” because of altered biting direction. Many people suffer from bleeding gums and burning of the tongue, dry mouth due to decrease in saliva flow and swollen glands. All these problems are caused by a variety of eating disorders.