Prevalence of psychologic, dental, and temporomandibular signs and symptoms among chronic eating disorders patients: a comparative control study.
OBJECTIVE
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).


CONCLUSIONS
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.
Emodi-Perlman
Alona
A
Department of Oral Rehabilitation, The Maurice and Gabriela Goldschleger School of Dental Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Yoffe
Tal
T
Rosenberg
Noa
N
Eli
Ilana
I
Alter
Zvia
Z
Winocur
Ephraim
E
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D002012:Bruxism / Q000209:etiology; D052018:Bulimia Nervosa / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002638:Chewing Gum; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D005157:Facial Pain / Q000209:etiology; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008410:Masticatory Muscles / Q000503:physiopathology; D010173:Palpation; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology; D012677:Sensation / Q000502:physiology; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology; D013705:Temporomandibular Joint Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D019217:Tooth Attrition / Q000209:etiology; D014076:Tooth Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D014077:Tooth Erosion / Q000209:etiology; D014839:Vomiting / Q000150:complications
D002638:Chewing Gum