Oral and dental characteristics in bulimic and anorectic patients

This article presents the oral situation of 11 anorectic and 41 bulimic patients and compares it with 50 healthy control persons. Although patients with an eating disorder showed less signs of gingival inflammation (sulcus-bleeding index (SBI): anorexia = 14.6%; bulimia = 12.5%; controls = 44.7%), they had clearly more enamel erosions than did healthy control persons. In 27 of 41 bulimic patients, a bilateral swelling of the parotid gland was found. A significant correlation between the parotid enlargement and enamel erosion exists in bulimic patients with a history of anorexia nervosa. Patients with an eating disorder had higher levels of serum amylase than did healthy control persons. A significant correlation between serum amylase activity and dental characteristics was found in bulimic patients.