Adults with dental erosion: Could this be a clinical sign of anorexia or bulimia nervosa? How is a patient with eating disorders approached?

Abstract

SUMMARYRhythms, requirements and standards of modern life have made the anxiety a common feature of most people. Along with stress, several other psychological problems increasingly appear and, unfortunately, critically affect young ages. 2 of the most common chronic mental disorders are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Dentists are uniquely positioned because in their area of examination, signs of these diseases can be seen and then their symptoms can be discussed with patients. Nowadays, despite the fact that these diseases are on the rise, dentists do not know enough about them. Often, even if the knowledge is enough to diagnose the disease, they avoid doing it, because they try not to make their patients feel uncomfortable and lose them.The purpose of this review is to highlight the main and secondary signs and symptoms of these diseases, giving each clinical general dentist a more global view and a motivation to include eating disorders in everyday clinical practice.