Oral status in eating disorders

Objectives: The aim of the study was to evaluate selected clinical parameters in the oral cavity of patients with anorexia and bulimia.

Methods: The study covered 76 individuals aged 14-19 years, including 36 patients aged 14-18 years with anorexia and forty patients aged 14-18 years with bulimia. The clinical assessment included an evaluation of caries experience (DMFS), erosion, percentage of surfaces with plaque and bleeding on probing. For the statistical method Mann-Whitney U-test was used.

Results: There were 15.5 decayed, missing and filled surfaces found in patients with anorexia and 13.2 in patients with bulimia. Twenty five percent of the patients with anorexia and 67.5 % of patients with bulimia showed erosion localized especially on lingual and occlusal surfaces (p <0,05). Oral hygiene and gingival health were better in case of patients with bulimia compared to anorexia.

Conclusion: Patients with diagnosed eating disorders are susceptible to dental caries and erosion. The results of the study suggest a relation between the occurrence of erosions and the form of eating disorders. It is therefore important to develop and implement medical standards which take into account a detailed dental examination.