The dental impact of eating disorders.

Our self-perceptions are all influenced to some extent by the media. The increase in sales of diet plans immediately after Christmas only serves to highlight the fact that many people (consciously or subconsciously) are aware of the effect that advertisements have on our lives. The weight of most people is controlled by a combination of diet and homoeostatic control and remains relatively constant, but weight loss has a more profound and sinister effect for others. Unexplained dental erosion can occasionally be found during dental examinations and, despite careful questioning, a definitive diagnosis may prove elusive. In these patients, once the more common causes of dental erosion have been eliminated, the eating disorders should be considered. In this paper, the effects of psychological conditions affecting the diet on the dentition will be discussed.