Oral mucosal lesions in Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa and EDNOS

Oro-dental manifestations of eating disorders: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Eating disorders (EDs) pose a significant risk to health, especially when not diagnosed early. For several years EDs and oral health has been extensively studied, and now it is quite clear the existence of a correlation between specific oral manifestations and these disorders. While these oral signs could potentially aid early diagnosis of EDs, their identification and the eventual establishment of a correlation is currently heavily limited to the clinician's experience. The present systematic review critically examines existing literature, offering an updated overview of oro-dental manifestations associated with EDs.

METHOD

MEDLINE (via PubMed), Web of Science, Scopus, and grey literature were searched, and relevant epidemiological comparative studies were screened using the Rayyan software. No limitations have been imposed on the research regarding oro-dental outcomes, encompassing all medically diagnosed EDs. The quality of the studies was valuated using AXIS appraisal tool for cross-sectional studies.

RESULT

Out of 3990 studies, 32 fulfilled the eligibility criteria and were included in the synthesis. The identified eating disorders include Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa and/or Eating Disorders Not Otherwise Specified, predominantly among female subjects, primarily originating from Europe. The evaluated oro-dental outcomes include dental erosion, caries, saliva assessment, hygiene-periodontal parameters, and mucosal tissue appearance. The association with erosion is confirmed while gingival recession, dentinal hypersensitivity, salivary flow thresholds and aspects relating to oral pathology are receiving increasing support from emerging evidence.

DISCUSSION

This trend emphasizes the critical role of the complete intraoral examination to detect significant oro-dental signs that may indicate the onset of an ED.

Associations between disordered eating and body focused repetitive behaviors in college students

Objective: College students with disordered eating (DE) are at increased risk of body focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs). Both DE and BFRBs are described as impulsive and compulsive. However, the associations of impulsive DE with impulsive BFRBs and compulsive DE with compulsive BFRBs have not been examined. Methods: 191 college-aged students completed a survey of BFRBs and DE. Results: Participants who reported hair pulling were twice as likely to report clinically significant DE than those who denied hair pulling (p = .022). Participants who endorsed distressing hair pulling (p = .026), skin picking (p = .052), and nail biting (p = .094) were twice as likely to report clinically significant DE than those who were not distressed by these behaviors. Evidence did not support the association of BFRBs and DE along an impulsive/compulsive continuum. Conclusions: Results suggest that BFRBs and DE often co-occur, and the role of impulsivity and compulsivity in these behaviors is complex.

Cheilitis: A cross-sectional study-multiple factors involved in the aetiology and clinical features

OBJECTIVE

Since the aetiologies of cheilitis are broad and overlapping, the purpose of this cross-sectional clinical study was to examine the multiple factors involved in aetiology and the disease's clinical features.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

We analysed cheilitis prevalence, demography, clinical features, patients' habits, psychological stress, systemic diseases, vitamin B9, B12 and iron serum levels and allergy test results in a total of 130 subjects with cheilitis, plus 22 healthy subjects.

RESULTS

The most common cheilitis types were: cheilitis simplex and eczematous cheilitis (28.5%); herpetic cheilitis (16.9%); and exfoliative and angular cheilitis (7.7%). Concerning bad habits, there was a significant association/connection between self-reported saliva at the corners of the mouth and angular cheilitis, and between lip licking/biting and exfoliative cheilitis. Common associated conditions were skin diseases (56.5%) and atopy (84%). Vitamin B9 and B12 serum and iron values were mostly within the normal reference range. The patients suffering from herpetic cheilitis had significantly higher psychological/mental stress levels than the control group.

CONCLUSION

To our knowledge, this is the first study of cheilitis patients that has simultaneously analysed aetiological factors, characteristics of the disease and diagnostic parameters.

Diet Traps during Eating Disorders among Dentate Patients at an Oral Health Glance

Persons suffering from eating disorders (ED) may often experience a recurrence/persistence symptoms despite the completion of psychiatric therapy. In most cases, their general health status is linked to current nutritional behaviors. Medical professionals, general practitioners (GPs), dieticians, and dentists may see those patients in their practices. At the same time, due to low sense of illness, some patients may delay or never seek professional medical care. The aim of this article is to analyze the main ED types according to dietary behaviors causing oral health problems and discuss oral health complications in affected dentate patients. The second objective is to update oral preventive measures and technological innovations together with active agents for oral hygiene care that might effectively support oral health maintenance during the presence of long-term symptoms. The research method involved a review of clinical reports as a synthesis of the electronic research in the Pubmed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases. Based on the research, ED patients were found to present related incidences of oral complications. Studies have reported that the possible course of an ED and comorbidities may be an imbalance in the oral environment. The results showed an association between biological (malnutrition, etc.), behavioral (binge eating episodes, vomiting, acidic diet, poor oral hygiene), and pharmacotherapeutic (addiction, hyposalivation) factors that may threaten oral health. Early diagnosis of the past and present symptoms is essential to eliminate and take control of destructive behaviors. Oral changes need to be tackled with medical insight, and additionally, the perception of dietary interactions is recommended.

Eating Disorders and Dental Erosion: A Systematic Review

Both eating disorders and dental erosion are increasingly affecting adolescents and young adults. Thus, our systematic review was designed to answer the question: "Is there a relationship between dental erosion and eating disorders?" Following the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 31 studies were included in this systematic review (according to the PRISMA statement guidelines). Based on the meta-analysis, 54.4% of patients with bulimia nervosa and 26.7% with anorexia nervosa experienced tooth erosion. For the whole group of 1699 patients with eating disorders, erosive lesions were observed in 42.1% of patients. Bulimics were more than 10 times more likely to experience dental erosion compared to healthy individuals (OR = 10.383 [95%CI: 4.882-22.086]). Similarly, more than 16 times increased odds of tooth erosion were found in patients with self-induced vomiting (OR = 16.176 [95%CI: 1.438-181.918]). In conclusion, eating disorders are associated with an increased risk of developing erosive lesions, especially in patients with bulimia nervosa.

The Impact of Anorexia Nervosa and the Basis for Non-Pharmacological Interventions

Anorexia nervosa is a psychiatric disorder with an unknown etiology that is characterized by an individual's preoccupation with their weight and body structure while denying the severity of their low body weight. Due to the fact that anorexia nervosa is multifaceted and may indicate the coexistence of genetic, social, hormonal, and psychiatric disorders, a description of non-pharmacological interventions can be used to ameliorate or reduce the symptoms of this condition. Consequently, the purpose of the present narrative review is to describe the profile's context in the anorexic person as well as the support they would require from their family and environment. In addition, it is aimed at examining preventative and non-pharmacological interventions, such as nutritional interventions, physical activity interventions, psychological interventions, psychosocial interventions, and physical therapy interventions. To reach the narrative review aims, a critical review was conducted utilizing both primary sources, such as scientific publications, and secondary sources, such as bibliographic indexes, web pages, and databases. Nutritional interventions include nutritional education and an individualized treatment for each patient, physical activity interventions include allowing patients to perform controlled physical activity, psychological interventions include family therapy and evaluation of the existence of other psychological disorders, psychosocial interventions include management of the relationship between the patient and social media and physical therapy interventions include relaxation massages and exercises to relieve pain. All these non-pharmacological interventions need to be individualized based on each patient's needs.

Factors Participating in the Occurrence of Inflammation of the Lips (Cheilitis) and Perioral Skin

Lip inflammation may manifest as mainly reversible cheilitis, mainly irreversible, or cheilitis connected to dermatoses or systemic diseases. Therefore, knowing a patient’s medical history is important, especially whether their lip lesions are temporary, recurrent, or persistent. Sometimes temporary contributing factors, such as climate and weather conditions, can be identified and avoided—exposure to extreme weather conditions (e.g., dry, hot, or windy climates) may cause or trigger lip inflammation. Emotional and psychological stress are also mentioned in the etiology of some lip inflammations (e.g., exfoliative cheilitis) and may be associated with nervous habits such as lip licking. To better manage cheilitis, it is also helpful to look for potential concomitant comorbidities and the presence of related diseases/conditions. Some forms of cheilitis accompany dermatologic or systemic diseases (lichen, pemphigus or pemphigoid, erythema multiforme, lupus, angioedema, xerostomia, etc.) that should be uncovered. Occasionally, lip lesions are persistent and involve histological changes: actinic cheilitis, granulomatous cheilitis, glandular cheilitis, and plasmacellular cheilitis. Perioral skin inflammation with simultaneous perioral dermatitis can have various causes: the use of corticosteroids and cosmetics, dysfunction of the skin’s epidermal barrier, a contact reaction to allergens or irritants (e.g., toothpaste, dental fillings), microorganisms (e.g., Demodex spp., Candida albicans, fusiform bacteria), hormonal changes, or an atopic predisposition. Epidermal barrier dysfunction can worsen perioral dermatitis lesions and can also be related to secondary vitamin or mineral deficiencies (e.g., zinc deficiency), occlusive emollient use, sunscreen use, or excessive exposure to environmental factors such as heat, wind, and ultraviolet light. Current trends in research are uncovering valuable information concerning the skin microbiome and disruption of the epidermal barrier of persons suffering from perioral dermatitis. Ultimately, an effective approach to patient management must take all these factors and new research into account.

Anorexia and bulimia nervosa in the practice of the paediatric dentist

OBJECTIVE

This systematic review aimed to highlight the usefulness of the clinical examination of the oral cavity for the diagnostic suspicion of anorexia (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN), being of main interest to the paediatric dentist and paediatrician due to the early onset of symptoms in Eating Disorders (EDs).

METHOD

A systematic search, applying PICO question, was carried out in biomedical and other electronic databases from 2005 to 2020. Both case reports and case series of patients under 65 years of age with AN and BN were included. Data were extracted and statistically analysed.

RESULTS

A sample of 111 studies was obtained (n = 192; 92.78% female). The most prevalent diagnosis was restrictive type AN (n = 110; 57.29%). Only 16 (8.33%) patients had been clinically examined at the oral cavity, indicating the presence or absence of oral manifestations (OM) and showing dental erosion (n = 10) as the most frequent.

CONCLUSION

There is a lack of information about the oral examination of anorexic and bulimic patients. Dental erosion and other oral manifestations can help us to make an early ED diagnosis. Clinical observation and basic erosive wear examination (BEWE) Index are necessary steps to detect and record any anomaly in oral cavity during the evaluation of these patients.

Psychiatric and medical comorbidities of eating disorders: findings from a rapid review of the literature

BACKGROUND

Eating disorders (EDs) are potentially severe, complex, and life-threatening illnesses. The mortality rate of EDs is significantly elevated compared to other psychiatric conditions, primarily due to medical complications and suicide. The current rapid review aimed to summarise the literature and identify gaps in knowledge relating to any psychiatric and medical comorbidities of eating disorders.

METHODS

This paper forms part of a rapid review) series scoping the evidence base for the field of EDs, conducted to inform the Australian National Eating Disorders Research and Translation Strategy 2021-2031, funded and released by the Australian Government. ScienceDirect, PubMed and Ovid/Medline were searched for English-language studies focused on the psychiatric and medical comorbidities of EDs, published between 2009 and 2021. High-level evidence such as meta-analyses, large population studies and Randomised Control Trials were prioritised.

RESULTS

A total of 202 studies were included in this review, with 58% pertaining to psychiatric comorbidities and 42% to medical comorbidities. For EDs in general, the most prevalent psychiatric comorbidities were anxiety (up to 62%), mood (up to 54%) and substance use and post-traumatic stress disorders (similar comorbidity rates up to 27%). The review also noted associations between specific EDs and non-suicidal self-injury, personality disorders, and neurodevelopmental disorders. EDs were complicated by medical comorbidities across the neuroendocrine, skeletal, nutritional, gastrointestinal, dental, and reproductive systems. Medical comorbidities can precede, occur alongside or emerge as a complication of the ED.

CONCLUSIONS

This review provides a thorough overview of the comorbid psychiatric and medical conditions co-occurring with EDs. High psychiatric and medical comorbidity rates were observed in people with EDs, with comorbidities contributing to increased ED symptom severity, maintenance of some ED behaviours, and poorer functioning as well as treatment outcomes. Early identification and management of psychiatric and medical comorbidities in people with an ED may improve response to treatment and overall outcomes.

Relationship between Risk Factors Related to Eating Disorders and Subjective Health and Oral Health

This study examined the factors related to eating disorders (ED) and the relationship between ED and subjective health or subjective oral health in adolescents. The 46,146 adolescents (age 12–18 years) who participated in the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey were selected, including those who had attempted to lose weight within the past 30 days during the survey period. The variables included were eating behavior, BMI, body image subjective health, and subjective oral health. The weight-loss method was divided into two groups (regular exercise, RE, and eating disorder, ED). The data were analyzed using the Rao-Scott χ2 test and logistic regression analysis. The adolescents with an obese body image had a lower risk of ED (OR = 0.75, 95% CI 0.38–1.49) than adolescents with a very thin body image. Adolescents with ED had a higher risk of a poor subjective health assessment (OR = 2.32, 95% CI 1.85–2.91). On the other hand, they had a lower risk of a poor subjective oral health assessment (OR = 0.89, 95% CI 0.71–1.12). ED is closely associated with eating behavior, BMI, body image, oral health behavior, subjective health, and subjective oral health in Korean adolescents.

Risk of Dental Caries and Erosive Tooth Wear in 117 Children and Adolescents' Anorexia Nervosa Population-A Case-Control Study

INTRODUCTION

Restrictive type of anorexia nervosa (AN) is still one of the most severe eating disorders worldwide with an uncertain prognosis. Patients affected by AN should be encouraged to undertake psychiatric care and psychotherapy, but whether they should necessarily be included in careful dental care or not may still be questionable. Even though there is a constantly increasing number of AN studies, there are just a few data about the youngest group of AN children and adolescents aged < 18.

METHODOLOGY

This case-control study aimed to compare the dental health and gingival inflammation level in female adolescent inpatients affected by severe AN restrictive subtype vs. controls. Based on clinically confirmed 117 AN cases (hospitalized in years 2016-2020 in public Psychiatric Unit, BMI < 15 kg/m², mean age 14.9 ± 1.8), the dental status has been examined regarding the occurrence of caries lesions using Decay Missing Filling Teeth (DMFT), erosive wear as Basic Erosive Wear Examination (BEWE), gingival condition as Bleeding on Probing (BOP) and plaque deposition as Plaque Control Record (PCR). The results were compared with age-matched 103 female dental patients (BMI 19.8 ± 2.3 kg/m², age 15.0 ± 1.8, p = 0.746) treated in a public University dental clinic.

RESULTS

AN patients were found to present a higher incidence of oral-related complications according to dental status (DMFT 3.8 ± 4.5 vs. 1.9 ± 2.1, p = 0.005), erosive tooth wear (BEWE 18.9 vs. 2.9%, p < 0.001), less efficient in controlling plaque (PCR 43.8 vs. 13.7%, p < 0.001) and gingival inflammation (BOP 20.0 vs. 3.9%, p < 0.001) compared with female adolescents. In the AN group, a significant correlation between BOP, BEWE, and duration of AN disease (p < 0.05), similarly to the number of decayed teeth D, filled teeth F and PCR were detected (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Although the obtained results did not reveal any severe oral status, our findings indicated impaired dental and gingival conditions in young anorexics. Considering AN's potential role in oral health, it is essential to monitor dental treatment needs and oral hygiene levels in their present status to prevent forward complications in the future.

Oral and dental health status in patients with eating disorders in Madrid, Spain

Background

The aim of the present study was to describe and compare the oral and dental health status of two groups, one diagnosed with eating disorders (EDs), and another group without this pathology, assessing the following oral manifestations: dental alterations, periodontal disorders, soft tissue disorders, non-stimulated salivary flow, and oral pH.

Material and Methods

This comparative transversal epidemiological study included 179 participants, of whom 59 were diagnosed with EDs (Eating Disorder Group: EDG) and 120 had no antecedents of EDs (No Eating Disorder Group: NEDG). All patients fulfilled the following inclusion criteria: women aged over 18 years, diagnosed with an ED by a specialist, patients who had undergone at least 1 year monitoring by the Clinical Nutrition Unit, and had not received any periodontal treatment during the previous 6 months. Both groups were homogeneous in terms of sex, age, education, and socioeconomic level. Oral exploration was performed, registering clinical variables, as well as sociodemographic and socioeconomic data, oral hygiene habits, and smoking. Statistical significance was established as p<0.05 (confidence level > 95%).

Results

The dental erosion (DE) was the most significative feature of dental alterations. The degree of DE was significantly greater in the EDG (p<0.001). A significant association between soft tissue lesions and EDs was found (p<0.001) A notable difference in non-stimulated salivary flow was found between the groups (p<0.001). No significant differences between the groups were found for periodontal status, dental caries, or oral hygiene practices.

Conclusions

On the basis of the results obtained, it is necessary to carry out oral/dental examination as soon as an ED is diagnosed with regular check-ups thereafter.

Key words:Eating disorders, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, oral health, dental erosion.

Eating disorders: experiences of and attitudes toward oral health and oral health behavior

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.

Differential Diagnosis of Cheilitis - How to Classify Cheilitis?

SUMMARY – Although cheilitis as a term describing lip inflammation has been identified and recognized for a long time, until now there have been no clear recommendations for its work-up and classification. The disease may appear as an isolated condition or as part of certain systemic diseases/conditions (such as anemia due to vitamin B₁₂ or iron deficiency) or local infections (e.g., herpes and oral candidiasis). Cheilitis can also be a symptom of a contact reaction to an irritant or allergen, or may be provoked by sun exposure (actinic cheilitis) or drug intake, especially retinoids. Generally, the forms most commonly reported in the literature are angular, contact (allergic and irritant), actinic, glandular, granulomatous, exfoliative and plasma cell cheilitis. However, variable nomenclature is used and subtypes are grouped and named differently. According to our experience and clinical practice, we suggest classification based on primary differences in the duration and etiology of individual groups of cheilitis, as follows: 1) mainly reversible (simplex, angular/infective, contact/eczematous, exfoliative, drug-related); 2) mainly irreversible (actinic, granulomatous, glandular, plasma cell); and 3) cheilitis connected to dermatoses and systemic diseases (lupus, lichen planus, pemphigus/pemphigoid group, angioedema, xerostomia, etc.).