Acid Erosion from Bulimia Damages Teeth
There are many reasons patients come to see me for cosmetic dentistry. One of the most common reasons is because their teeth are badly worn down from grinding, often in combination with acid erosion that has eaten away at the enamel. Treating these cases can be complex, because if we don’t properly diagnose and solve the problem that caused the worn, eroded teeth in the first place, then any cosmetic dentistry is sure to fail very fast.
When Jenni (not her real name, as she prefers to stay anonymous) first came to see me through a referral back in 2005 for a Smile Makeover consultation, she admitted that she had suffered from bulimia as a teen, about 20 years prior. She had recovered from this debilitating disease and had been leading a healthy, normal life for many years, but her teeth had been so eroded that she was extremely self-conscious and embarrassed by her smile.
Control the Cause of Erosion, or Your Work Will Fail
Since Jenni’s original issue had been addressed medically, we were safe moving forward with a greatly decreased risk of acid erosion causing problems again, although bulimics are at a much higher risk of GERD/acid reflux. In cases like this, we use a combination of products to protect the teeth and dental work, because the teeth are still at a greater risk of future decay, due to all the previous damage. I’ve discussed many of the products we recommend in my post, There’s No Such Thing as Soft Teeth, if this is a concern.
Due to complicating factors, Jenni’s case took quite a while to finish; however, I think you’ll see why Jenni is now happy with her smile again, although she doesn’t want everyone to know what she had done, so she has asked me to not use her portrait.
Cosmetic dentist Dr. Charles Payet, of Charlotte NC, performed a Smile Makeover with Porcelain Crowns to Restore these Teeth Damaged by Acid Erosion/Bulimia
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