Oral status of 35 subjects with eating disorders – A 1‐year study

The aim was to record changes over time in the oral status of subjects with diagnosed eating disorders. The outpatient psychiatrist had referred to the hospital dental clinic 35 women (19–47 yr, median 27 yr) with eating disorders, diagnosed according to DSM III‐R criteria. At the baseline examination, dental, medical and dietary histories were taken, and intra‐oral clinical and radiographic examinations were supplemented by intra‐oral photographs, study casts and salivary analysis. The subjects were re‐examined 1 yr later. Together, the investigators assessed progression of tooth wear blindly by comparing coded study casts from the baseline and 12‐month examinations. Progression of erosive tooth wear was recorded in almost half of the subjects. Several subjects had low unstimulated salivary flow rates (<0.1 ml/min) and very high counts of mutans streptococci and lactobacilli, both at baseline and 1 yr later. The flow rates for paraffin‐stimulated saliva at baseline were significantly lower for subjects with progression of erosive tooth wear than for those without. Because of the increased susceptibility to both caries and erosion, patients with eating disorders should be encouraged to have regular dental check‐ups. Test of salivary flow may serve as an indicator of patients' risk of progression of erosive tooth wear.