Repairing Tooth Damage After Suffering from Bulimia Nervosa

For years, I did not heed this warning and continued to brush my teeth after vomiting, trying to hide the disease that was taking over my life. After being in recovery from bulimia nervosa for a little over six months I decided to make that dreaded appointment with the dentist. Getting there was the hardest part, and i was tempted more than a few times to cancel the appointment - but I knew I had to stick with it, I had to repair the damage that bulimia nervosa had done to my teeth.

Depending on the length that the teeth have been constantly exposed to stomach acids, crowns or dental implants may be necessary to remove the extreme loss of enamel. Some bulimics lose so much enamel that any fillings in the teeth appear raised, and quite noticeable.

When in recovery, bulimics may find reprieve from the mouth sores and lesions as well as the lack of saliva that comes with excessive vomiting. When treating mouth sores, ointment may be available from the doctor or dentist and regularly rinsing with salt and water can help to treat the sores and assist in the healing process.

Bleeding and other gum abnormalities are often a long term effect of bulimia nervosa, unfortunately once the gums become eroded it can be very difficult to maintain the quality of the tooth and can lead to toothaches because of the exposure of the root and nerve of the tooth to any substance that is found within the mouth. It is an expensive and painful as well as difficult process to replace the teeth to the state that they were in prior to the bulimia.

Tooth discoloration can be treated with whitening treatments at the local dentist but it is important to remember that some discoloration is caused by the loss of enamel. Most times, enamel is difficult to replace and although dental treatments like fluoride can help, they are not always the answer.

Tooth damage can be irreversible and for this reason it is important to maintain tooth care through the bulimia nervosa process with regular dental checkups and precautions such as a high enamel toothpaste or fluoride treatments to assist in the building of enamel to contraindicate the wear that comes with constant exposure to vulgar stomach acids.