Knowledge of dental surgeons about oral manifestations in patients with eating disorders

Abstract

Eating disorders can pass on teeth and oral tissues. Treatment of these disorders demand an interdisciplinary approach and the dentist plays an important role in the multidisciplinary team. The objective of this study was to investigate and analyze the knowledge of dentists about Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa and its oral manifestations. The research, cross-quantitative, was performed by applying questionnaires to 100 dentists from the Centro de Estudos Odontológicos CEOM, the Escola de Odontologia IMED and Iodontus Odontologia. As a result, 81% of respondents professionals perform educational and preventive activities, 94% reported that they possessed little knowledge about Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa, 95% believe in the importance of the diagnosis of eating disorders and 57% had contact “sometimes “with patients with eating disorders. According to dentists, the main changes were reported dental erosion, sensitivity, ulcers and erythema palate and gums. We conclude, therefore, that many times as primary health care workers to diagnose these disorders, dentists still need to obtain a greater knowledge regarding eating disorders and their oral manifestations, in order to be able to make a correct diagnosis and succeed in the dental treatment of patients with eating disorders.