Eating disorders: knowing the signs

As a dental nurse, it’s a good idea to be aware of how eating disorders affect the oral cavity and to be able to identify them. This way, if you are faced with patients who may potentially have an eating disorder, you can give them the care and advice they need.

What defines eating disorders?

When we hear the term eating disorder, it’s easy to quickly jump to the most extreme examples such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia. But eating disorders actually cover a far wider range of behaviours. For example, an eating disorder may be characterised by someone obsessively counting calories and then exercising until they know they have burned off that amount. Another example may be periodic binge eating, triggered by emotions or people using food as a comfort when they are going through a tough time and forming an unhealthy reliance.