Abstract
Intraoral symptoms have been reported as somatic symptoms of patients with eating disorders. In order to elucidate the actual states, we performed research including taking medical histories, intraoral diagnoses, saliva tests, bacteriological examinations, etc on a patient group with eating disorders (female, 51 subjects) and a control group (female, 64 subjects). The results are as follows.
1. Thirty-six subjects had experiences of anorexia as an abnormal eating habit. And 42 subjects had experiences of hyperorexia. Among them, 33 subjects had experiences of self-induced vomiting.
2. We checked for oral lesions that have been pointed out by specialists of eating disorders. Among such lesions, it has been suggested that cervical caries and cervical parenchymatous losses are useful observation for an early detection of eating disorders.
3. Periods of sickness, self-induced vomiting and irregular eating habits during hyperorexia periods, abnormal eating habits such as excessive consumption of sugar in hyperorexia, low saliva flow and occurrences of dryness in oral cavities during anorexia periods were inferred to be factors causing caries in patients with eating disorders.
4. It has been suggested that oral symptoms as somatic symptoms of patients with eating disorders provide important information for the detection of eating disorders. Thus, it is presumed that dentists should assume a heavy responsibility for and be active in treatment, prevention and early detection of eating disorders, which are burgeoning.
