Eating disorders: Experiences of and attitudes towards oral health and oral health behaviour

It is well known that early signs of eating disorders (EDs), such as dental erosion and enlarged salivary glands, may be recognized in the dental clinic. Dentists acknowledge that approaching a patient to discuss the suspicion of an ED is difficult. However, little is known about how persons with EDs experience and manage dental visits. Therefore, this study aimed to uncover knowledge, experience, and attitude of oral health and oral health behavior among persons with EDs. The study design was cross-sectional and 260 persons with EDs completed an electronic questionnaire. The participants were generally concerned about their teeth. Some participants had anxiety around having severely and irreversibly damaged teeth, and many were overly occupied with oral hygiene procedures. One-third of participants had good experiences regarding communication with a dentist, and about half of the participants wanted the dentist to address their EDs in the clinic. However, participants with less-positive experiences stated that there is a need for dentists with specialized knowledge about EDs and communication skills that emphasize an open, empathic, recognition approach from the dentist toward patients with EDs. In addition, it may be advantageous to integrate dental advice and treatment as part of the treatment of EDs in line with psychological and medical therapy.