Prevalence of Psychologic, Dental, and Temporomandibular Signs and Symptoms Among Chronic Eating Disorders Patients: A Comparative Control Study

Aims: To compare the prevalence of psychologic, dental, and temporomandibular disorder (TMD) signs and symptoms between young women suffering from chronic eating disorders (ED) and a control group of age-matched, healthy women, and to evaluate the impact of frequent vomiting on these signs and symptoms among the ED group. Methods: Clinical examination and self-administered questionnaires were used to evaluate psychologic, dental, and TMD signs and symptoms among 79 women hospitalized because of chronic ED and 48 age-matched healthy women (as controls). ED patients were further analyzed according to their habit of daily vomiting (43 vomiting versus 36 nonvomiting patients). Pearson chi-square and analysis of variance were used to analyze categorical differences between study groups. Results: Women with ED showed a significantly higher sensitivity to muscle palpation (P .001) and higher levels of depression, somatization, and anxiety (P .001), as well as a higher prevalence of intensive gum chewing (P .001), dental erosions (P .001), and attrition (P .001), than the healthy controls. Vomiting patients showed higher muscle sensitivity to palpation than nonvomiting patients (P .001) and greater emotional and psychologic distress (P .001). Conclusion: Women with chronic ED suffer from higher muscular sensitivity to palpation, greater emotional distress, and more hard tissue destruction (dental erosions, dental sensitivity) than healthy women. Keywords: anorexia nervosa, bruxism, bulimia nervosa, dental erosion, eating disorders, stress, TMD, vomiting