Fact Sheet

Eating disorders and looking after your teeth

Eating disorders can cause permanent is the hard, translucent and highly Recommended dental dental and oral health problems. It is mineralised outer layer of the . products to use important to seek professional advice Dentine is a less well mineralised In general, you should use a normal from a if you have concerns tissue that forms the bulk of the tooth. fluoridated ; however in about your dental health or someone This inner material protects the blood some cases a dentist may prescribe else’s. It is better to see your dentist as vessels and nerves inside the tooth. toothpaste with higher fluoride to soon as you can, so an oral care plan Dentine is not as strong as enamel and increase the protection of your teeth. can be recommended. when exposed to the oral environment A fluoride mouth rinse may also be is dissolved more easily by acid and is Common signs and recommended for some people. more prone to . symptoms of dental Tooth Mousse™ is a crème made In people with long term eating problems associated with from milk that contains calcium disorders the enamel on certain teeth eating disorders and phosphate and can help repair surfaces can be completely dissolved acid damage to the teeth and help Dental erosion is a common sign in and may expose the dentine which neutralise acids. People with milk people with eating disorders. Erosion can then dissolve and wear more protein allergies should not use it. is the loss of tooth mineral due to quickly. This may result in the nerve Tooth Mousse™ can be purchased the chemical attack of acids. It is inside the tooth being exposed which from your dentist. commonly seen on the back surfaces may require a root canal filling or of the upper front teeth in patients with extraction. The loss of tooth height Helpful hints . This can result in the may also require dental treatment to tooth being sensitive to hot and cold restore the appearance and function During the process of , acid and in some cases may result in more of teeth. from the stomach flows over the severe pain. teeth. This acid can dissolve the People with anorexia may suffer from mineral that makes up our teeth. A low intake of water may result osteoporosis which can weaken the Some of the outer mineral will dissolve in poor quality saliva which fails to jaw bone, leading to weakened teeth completely but a layer of softened protect the teeth adequately compared and potentially . to well hydrated saliva. Poor intake mineral will also remain. This softened of vitamins may lead to infections at mineral can be rehardened by saliva Should I tell my dentist about and Tooth Mousse™. the corners of the mouth known as my eating disorder? angular chelitis or inflammation of the One helpful hint is to not brush tongue called . Yes, if you have an eating disorder you your teeth after vomiting as the should discuss this with your dentist People with eating disorders may softened enamel or dentine is weak so that an oral care plan can be experience dry or cracked and a immediately after vomiting and your developed to limit the damage to the dry or burning sensation in the mouth. toothbrush can wear it away and teeth. , like doctors, will deal cause further damage. Instead, with these issues in a non-judgemental Long-term dental problems immediately after vomiting it is better and confidential manner. to try and neutralise the acids. This Your teeth are primarily made up of Any general dentist is able to help, can be done in one of two ways. two hard materials – dental enamel although in some cases you may be and dentine. The dental enamel referred to a specialist. Eating disorders and looking after your teeth

A teaspoon of sodium bicarbonate (a regular household cooking ingredient – bicarb soda) can be dissolved in water and used to rinse the mouth. This will neutralise any remaining acids and prevent them from damaging the teeth any further. Rubbing Tooth Mousse™ around the teeth after vomiting is also beneficial. This will help neutralise the acids and provide calcium and phosphate to reharden the enamel. Chewing sugar free chewing gum can also be useful in promoting saliva flow which provides natural calcium and phosphate to repair acid damage to the teeth. It may also be helpful to avoid citrus fruit, fruit drinks, energy drinks and soft drinks.

Need more information? For further information about dental care and services available to you visit your local dentist or alternatively contact: The Australian Dental Association – Victorian Branch Inc. Phone (03) 8825 4600 E-mail [email protected] Web www.adavb.net

Eating Disorders Victoria Collingwood Football Club Community Centre, Level 2, cnr Lulie and Abbot Streets, Abbotsford, Victoria 3067 T 1300 550 236 E [email protected] W www.eatingdisorders.org.au Information sheet prepared by Eating Disorders Victoria. The information in this article is by no means intended as a substitute for medical advice from a qualified health practitioner. It does not recommend any one treatment, therapy or medication. Please seek medical advice as different medications suit different individuals. © 2014 Eating Disorders Foundation of Victoria Inc. July 2014 ABN 24 010 832 192 Reg No A0022880J