Dental teams can be ‘vital link’ in caring for patients with eating disorders, says charity

Around 1.25 million people in the UK are affected by an eating disorder and many can be recognised by a range of common problems in the mouth.

Around nine in 10 (90 per cent) patients with bulimia and one in five (20 per cent) with anorexia suffer from enamel erosion. Tooth decay, sensitive teeth, dry mouth and enlarged salivary glands are also frequent.

The Oral Health Foundation believes that thousands of undiagnosed eating disorders can be picked up during regular dental check-ups by dentists, dental hygienists, therapists, and dental nurses.

Chief executive of the Oral Health Foundation, Nigel Carter, says, “During the routine dental examination, dental teams carry out checks on the hard and soft tissues of the mouth and look for signs of tooth erosion. They will also look for possible injuries to the mouth which could have been induced by inserting foreign objects that cause a person to vomit.