Bulimia is a strand of eating disorder whereby those affected can in some cases purge their food through vomiting in order to try and lose or maintain weight. In some cases people might not always purge through vomiting as bulimia also has ties to over exercising and purging through laxatives. Constant cycles of bingeing and purging are very hard on the body particularly on the heart, kidneys and other various organs in the body. And on top of all of this bulimia can be particularly damaging on teeth.
What does vomiting do to the teeth?
Repeated vomiting can cause the tooth’s enamel to break down as stomach acid contains high levels of toxic acid. These acids belong in the stomach in order to help the digestion of food and are very harsh.
As the acid softens the enamel, it exposes the tooth and even brushing the teeth can cause more harm after vomiting.
CAVITIES
The acid that comes from regular vomiting can actually begin to wear so much on the teeth that holes and cavities are made in the teeth. And as many patients suffering from bulimia can also be associated with bingeing on sugary foods and drinks the problem is made worse again.
BRITTLE & YELLOW TEETH
As erosion of teeth worsens you might notice that the texture and even colour of your teeth might change. You could see that your teeth seem more brittle than before. Other signs are ragged and jagged teeth at the bottom, or that the shape and length of teeth look different too.
SWOLLEN FACE
In your cheeks people have salivary glands, these are the glands that help produce saliva and are really important when it comes to swallowing food. What people often don’t realise is that saliva also really helps to protect the teeth against tooth decay.
Stomach acids can irritate these glands and cause the face to swell slightly, for most people this swelling will go down after a day or so, but as most people suffering with bulimia purge daily the swelling can become a daily thing.
SORES IN THE MOUTH
When stomach acid enters the mouth it doesn’t just attack the enamel it can always cause harm to the skin on the top and sides of the mouth. This damage can be known to leave sores on the inside of your mouth and throat. As with sores anywhere on the body these can also sometimes become infected and will then inflame and even become pusy.
DRY MOUTH
What some sufferers also report is a constant feeling of dryness in the mouth. When there’s a lack of saliva people can feel constantly thirsty no matter how much they drink.
How Your Dentist in St John’s Wood Can Help
Sometimes when people are suffering their dentist in St Johns Wood will be the first to notice symptoms. Usually your dentist will have experience and will recognise the deterioration on the teeth, and will talk you through their concerns and will be able to point you in the direction of support available along with trying ro help with your oral health moving forward.
