Abstract
The aim of this study was to compare the oral health status and salivary antioxidant system between patients diagnosed with anorexia nervosa (AN) and healthy controls. A total of 25 female AN patients and 25 matched healthy controls were enrolled. Clinical parameters and saliva samples were collected for each patient. Two questionnaires to investigate oral health and hygiene were administered. Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) activity and High Reactive Oxygen Species (hROS) were evaluated. Salivary concentration of SOD was significantly higher in subjects with AN compared with control group (1.010 ± 0.462 vs. 0.579 ± 0.296 U/mL; p = 0.0003). No significant differences between groups were identified for hROS (233.72 ± 88.27 vs. 199.49 ± 74.72; p = 0.15). Data from questionnaires indicated that, although most of the patients recognized the oral hygiene importance in maintaining a good oral health, more than half of them had poor oral hygiene. Altered biochemical composition of saliva in patients with AN could be interpreted as an effective defence mechanism against oxidative stress. Moreover, despite the discrepancy between clinical findings and perception of the oral health in AN population arose, the quality of life of these patients appears not to be significantly affected by their dental condition.
Highlights
Eating disorders (ED) are a group of psychopathological disorders affecting patient relationship with food and her/his own body, which manifests through distorted or chaotic eating behavior [1].Currently, the American Psychiatric Association has classified these disorders in: Anorexia Nervosa (AN), Bulimia Nervosa (BN) and Eating Disorders Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS) [2]
The aim of this study was to the compare oral health status and salivary antioxidant system between patients diagnosed with anorexia nervosa (AN) and healthy controls
Of the 25 AN subjects included in this study, all were female with a mean age of 24.5 ± 9.2 years. 56% of patients was taking antidepressant drugs, xerostomia and dysgeusia were daily reported by 20% of patients, while dental hypersensitivity was reported once a week by 16% of patients
Summary
Eating disorders (ED) are a group of psychopathological disorders affecting patient relationship with food and her/his own body, which manifests through distorted or chaotic eating behavior [1].Currently, the American Psychiatric Association has classified these disorders in: Anorexia Nervosa (AN), Bulimia Nervosa (BN) and Eating Disorders Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS) [2]. AN is characterized by food restriction leading to underweight, BN is defined by binge eating and inappropriate compensatory behaviors, such as self-induced vomiting, use of laxatives/diuretics, and excessive exercise, while EDNOS refers to those who do not meet all the criteria of the other two syndromes. ED constitute a true social epidemic, to such an extent that in European countries, the AN and BN are the most common disease among adolescents [3]. All of these disorders are associated with a wide range of adverse psychological, physical, and social consequences.
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