Disordered eating and severe obesity may increase the risk of dental disease, highlighting the need for collaboration among oral health, nutrition, and primary care professionals, according to a study recently published in Nutrition and Health.
Joint statements from professional societies and improved dental training on the oral health effects of disordered eating may support early detection, tailored care, and appropriate referrals, the authors wrote.
“The relationship between obesity, disordered eating behaviours and dental disease is important and under recognised by many,” wrote the authors, led by Zanab Malik of the University of Newcastle College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing in Australia (Nutr Health, January 7, 2026).
Patients with severe obesity may face a higher risk of poor oral health. Key contributing factors include cariogenic dietary behaviors, limited use of dental services, and social determinants of health such as lower health literacy, food insecurity, and income. Despite this risk, the potential effect of disordered eating behaviors on oral health in individuals with obesity has received limited attention, they wrote.
Disordered eating behaviors include restrictive eating, bingeing, purging, and night eating and may significantly affect oral health. This study aimed to raise awareness among dental teams by developing an evidence-based report highlighting the relevance of disordered eating behaviors and reporting their prevalence in both the general population and those with severe obesity.
Beyond their effects on nutrition and weight, disordered eating behaviors were found to increase the risk of dental caries, erosion, and reduced oral health-related quality of life due to factors such as frequent grazing, acidic exposure, nocturnal eating, and suboptimal oral hygiene. Established links between obesity-related comorbidities and oral diseases, including periodontal disease, may compound these risks, they wrote.
Dental professionals are uniquely positioned to identify disordered eating behaviors, provide tailored oral health care, and guide patients toward appropriate support. Greater collaboration between oral health, nutrition, dietetics, and primary care, alongside improved education, screening tools, and continuing professional development for dental teams, may improve outcomes for patients living with obesity.
“The dental team, with training, could play an important role in the management of people with disordered eating behaviours in terms of recognition of oral signs and symptoms of the condition(s) and signposting or referral to supportive services as require,” Malik and colleagues concluded.
