Q. I have been a sufferer of bulimia nervosa for about 8 years now and have suffered very severe enamel erosion as a result of it – I haven’t been to see the dentist in a long time because I know my mouth is a disaster area and until I have managed to recover I don’t want any dental work done that I might later wreck again. I imagine my mouth is full of cavities etc so that will have to be treated and I was also wondering what the cost of cosmetic treatment would be? At the very least I would guess I need crowns on upper front teeth (front 6 at least) because they are transparant at the edges – every tooth in my mouth has a greyish discolouring where my teeth are turning transparant at the tips and are mostly yellow everywhere else so I will most likely need cleaning and whitening too. Could you estimate the cost of this treatment? Is treatment even possible do you recon? Thank you for your time.

A. I have experience treating patients with severe loss of enamel due to various types of acid damage.  Often crowns are required due to enamel damage on the inside surfaces of the teeth.  Due to the tongue position when you are being sick the damage is often limited to the upper teeth.  Treatment in the past has cost from £6000 depending on how many teeth need to be treated. I also make a mouth guard that you can wear to protect your teeth during your illness. Please visit me for a free consultation if you wish to discuss this further. 

Dr Julian Caplan
Aviva Cosmetic Dentistry
Director on the board of the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry
www.avivacosmeticdentistry.co.uk
101 St. Peters Street
St. Albans Hertfordshire
AL1 3EN