A sign of bulimia is thinning and cracking of the teeth in a patient's smile. As stomach acids dissolve away the tooth enamel which coats teeth, more of the underlying yellow dentin appears. This causes the teeth to become darker and take on a yellow orange color. Putting porcelain veneers on the front of these teeth is stupid since the whole tooth, including the back is also dissolving away. Porcelain crowns are the correct restorations.

           Another sign of bulimia is the edges of the front teeth thin and become clear and transparent. As they thin, they begin cracking leaving jagged edges. Natural healthy teeth have a surface texture that breaks up the light but with acid dissolving the enamel, the surface of the front teeth appear glassy. Tooth whitening will not help because whitening whitens the tooth enamel and there isn't enough enamel to whiten.

          Another sign of bulimia is growing jowls. The parotid glands are located on the face at the corner of the lower jaw. They make saliva to moisten food while you chew and are the glands that swell up in mumps. Bulimia effects the parotids by causing them to enlarge giving the patient enlarged jowls and an enlarged lower jaw. At first the swelling is soft but later becomes hard and permanent with continued vomiting.

          Probably the most disturbing dental sign of bulimia is the loss of all the patient's teeth. As the bulimia progresses, the enamel on the backs of the upper molar teeth dissolve. Without dental treatment the teeth will continue to decay and the acid digests them until the teeth are killed. Without treatment, the destruction continues until the teeth are completely destroyed. Dr. Mark Allan Padolsky is an Atlanta Cosmetic Dentist who has been caring for and helping patients with bulimia for over 24 years. Schedule a consultation at 404-874-7428.