When someone develops an eating disorder, the whole of their body is affected by the lack of vitamins and minerals, which can lead to problems with their bones and soft tissues (which of course include the teeth and gums). In addition, Bulimics (people who deliberately make themselves sick after over-eating) weaken and damage the protective enamel coating of their teeth and irritate their gums as a result of regurgitating stomach acids.

The damage that can be done to teeth when vomiting regularly can be devastating to the mouth. The enamel is so affected that teeth will be eroded severely. This can lead to tooth loss. If the body is nutrient deficient, it cannot fight against the normal bacteria and the bad bacteria, responsible for gum disease and tooth decay, will flourish. This can lead to rapidly progressing gum disease and tooth decay as the body fails to respond.