Oral care for patients with bulimia

Various conditions cause rapid and debilitating erosion of teeth. One of the most common is bulimia, or the binge-purge syndrome. Dentists frequently encounter patients who have this problem. The dentist should confirm the possibility of bulimia, refer the patient to a competent eating-disorder clinic, counsel the patient about her or his condition and restore the patient's mouth to a state of health and esthetic acceptability. Dental treatment of such patients will vary depending on the severity of the erosion.