Could Braces Be Linked To Teenage Anorexia Cases?
Doctors in Dublin have claimed that braces may increase the risk of anorexia after cases of eating disorders were found to be more common among those who had orthodontic treatment.
Doctors from Temple Street Hospital found that one in three patients treated for an eating disorder had braces in the past and concluded that this was “disproportionately high”. It is believed that weight loss linked to tooth pain may result in abnormal eating habits, as patients lose weight unintentionally when they find it painful to eat following adjustments to their braces.
The doctors explained that braces can be painful when they are first fitted and after they have been tightened and this can cause patients to experience difficulty with eating. Losing weight after avoiding eating for a period of time can spur children on to lose more weight by eating less and this can contribute to eating disorders further down the line. There is also a worry that some children may take warnings from dentists too literally when they advise avoiding certain foods, which are more difficult to eat with braces.
The doctors are now calling for further research in this area to determine whether there is a link between eating disorders, weight loss and orthodontics. Research carried out at the hospital found that more than one in 3 children treated for an eating disorder had undergone orthodontic treatment previously and the seven year study showed that children were being diagnosed with disordered eating at an increasingly young age. The average age has changed from 14 years to 13.5 years in the last six months alone and both boys and girls are affected.
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