Teeth hold key to early diagnosis of eating disorders

That's according to the British Dental Association (BDA) as new research highlights the ‘key role’ dentists could be playing in the detection of health conditions including anorexia nervosa, bulimia and gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD).

New data from researchers at Kings College London, published in the British Dental Journal, found that many of the medical conditions that result in the erosion of tooth enamel, can have serious and even possibly fatal consequences if left undiagnosed or untreated.

Eating disorders affect an estimated 725,000 people in the UK – at a cost of around £15 billion per annum. Patients who are reluctant to seek medical help may instead visit a dentist for treatment of conditions such as tooth wear associated with frequent vomiting.