Journal Article Summary: "Patients with Eating Disorders: Challenges for the Oral Health Professional"
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Summary: Many people often associate systemic illness with diabetes or cardiovascular disease, but eating disorders are often not looked at as a systemic illness when in fact they are. Eating disorders are considered a group of systemic illnesses of a psychiatric nature. These diseases affect an individual’s emotional, behavioral, and social relationships as well as their health. Eating disorders are very serious and is life threatening. They are subdivided into anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge
eating disorder. It is important for the dental hygienist to be aware of these diseases and know the oral manifestations they are associated with.
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder where an individual has a drastic ability to control food intake to the point of starvation. Individuals will show a preoccupation with food preparation and cooking for others, but are still able to hold restrictions on their own food intake. These individuals have an intense fear of gaining weight and a distortion
of body image. Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by binge eating twice weekly followed by inappropriate and compulsive behaviors involving self induced vomiting, use of laxatives, diuretics, enemas and excessive exercise regimens while having a persistent preoccupation with one’s body shape or weight or both. Binge eating disorder is an eating disorder that’s characterized as the presence of binge eating not followed by the behaviors of bulimia nervosa.
There are many oral manifestations that can be found in patients with these eating disorders. Some oral findings you may find on the teeth are: erosion, caries, sensitivity, chipping of teeth, and a possible anterior open bite.
Certain mucosal lesions you may find are mucosal atrophy, glossodynia, glossitis, erythema, and dysgeusia.
Patients may also develop gingivitis and periodontitis. They may experience salivary changes such as xerostomia and enlargement of major and minor salivary glands. When the dental hygienist observes these oral findings it is very
important to carry a non judgmental attitude while presenting the oral findings with the patient. Once the dental
hygienist gains trust with the patient it is important to refer the patient for a consultation with a medical practitioner for further help. In the mean time the dental hygienist can provide care for the oral findings associated with that patient such as salivary substitutes for dry mouth and fluoride application for caries prevention. Scheduling regular examinations and prophylaxis will help to preventfurther deterioration of the teeth. Permanent restorative care may be considered recovery has been verified.
Reflection: I chose this article because I am very interested in eating disorders. Being a female I know how it is growing up and getting through high school with image being a top priority. I have never had an eating disorder, but I can understand how individuals let the image and other factors from their peers affect them to the point of
developing eating disorders. Females have very low self-esteem these days and it is very important to know how to deal with patients that have these disorders, especially since the dental hygienist may be the first to observe what’s really going on just by observing the oral cavity.
Reference:
Clark, D. B. (2010). Patients with eating disorders: Challenges for the oral health professional. Canadian Journal Of Dental Hygiene, 44(4), 163-170.
Additional Information:
www.nationaleatingdisorders.org
www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/eatingdisorders.html
The following are images of oral cavities of individuals with eating disorders:
(by Google Images)
eating disorder. It is important for the dental hygienist to be aware of these diseases and know the oral manifestations they are associated with.
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder where an individual has a drastic ability to control food intake to the point of starvation. Individuals will show a preoccupation with food preparation and cooking for others, but are still able to hold restrictions on their own food intake. These individuals have an intense fear of gaining weight and a distortion
of body image. Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by binge eating twice weekly followed by inappropriate and compulsive behaviors involving self induced vomiting, use of laxatives, diuretics, enemas and excessive exercise regimens while having a persistent preoccupation with one’s body shape or weight or both. Binge eating disorder is an eating disorder that’s characterized as the presence of binge eating not followed by the behaviors of bulimia nervosa.
There are many oral manifestations that can be found in patients with these eating disorders. Some oral findings you may find on the teeth are: erosion, caries, sensitivity, chipping of teeth, and a possible anterior open bite.
Certain mucosal lesions you may find are mucosal atrophy, glossodynia, glossitis, erythema, and dysgeusia.
Patients may also develop gingivitis and periodontitis. They may experience salivary changes such as xerostomia and enlargement of major and minor salivary glands. When the dental hygienist observes these oral findings it is very
important to carry a non judgmental attitude while presenting the oral findings with the patient. Once the dental
hygienist gains trust with the patient it is important to refer the patient for a consultation with a medical practitioner for further help. In the mean time the dental hygienist can provide care for the oral findings associated with that patient such as salivary substitutes for dry mouth and fluoride application for caries prevention. Scheduling regular examinations and prophylaxis will help to preventfurther deterioration of the teeth. Permanent restorative care may be considered recovery has been verified.
Reflection: I chose this article because I am very interested in eating disorders. Being a female I know how it is growing up and getting through high school with image being a top priority. I have never had an eating disorder, but I can understand how individuals let the image and other factors from their peers affect them to the point of
developing eating disorders. Females have very low self-esteem these days and it is very important to know how to deal with patients that have these disorders, especially since the dental hygienist may be the first to observe what’s really going on just by observing the oral cavity.
Reference:
Clark, D. B. (2010). Patients with eating disorders: Challenges for the oral health professional. Canadian Journal Of Dental Hygiene, 44(4), 163-170.
Additional Information:
www.nationaleatingdisorders.org
www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/eatingdisorders.html
The following are images of oral cavities of individuals with eating disorders:
(by Google Images)