Whether you're struggling with anorexia, bulimia, ARFID, or another form of disordered eating, your oral health is part of your overall health — and your dentist can play an important role in early detection and long-term healing.

Eating disorders aren’t just about food, body image, or weight. They are often:

• Attempts to manage anxiety or chaos

• Ways to feel control or structure when life feels unpredictable

• Numbing tools for emotional pain or trauma

• Signals that something deeper is distressing the person

Eating disorders don’t just affect nutrition and weight — they can also impact the body’s ability to eat safely. One symptom that can be frightening, misunderstood, and often overlooked is dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing.

For kids and teens with restrictive eating disorders (like anorexia nervosa, ARFID, or OSFED), restoring weight is often a life-saving step. Medical complications like bradycardia, hypotension, loss of menses, or growth delays can emerge quickly when the body doesn’t get enough energy to grow.

When we talk about malnutrition, people often think of physical signs — weight loss, weakness, or fatigue. But one of the most profound (and often invisible) effects of malnutrition happens where we least expect it:

The brain.

Whether from an eating disorder like anorexia nervosa, ARFID, or even chronic dieting, undernourishment directly affects how the brain functions, feels, and processes the world. And when the brain is underfed, it can impact everything from emotions to memory, focus, sleep, and even personality.

Let’s take a look at how malnutrition changes the brain — and why nutritional rehabilitation is critical not just for the body, but for the mind.

Eating disorder recovery isn’t one-size-fits-all. Some people do well with weekly outpatient therapy and dietitian support. Others need more intensive care to break free from the cycle of disordered behaviors, restore physical health, and feel emotionally safe enough to heal.

If you're wondering whether it’s time to consider a higher level of care — like intensive outpatient (IOP), partial hospitalization (PHP), residential, or inpatient treatment — you're not alone.

When most people hear the term “eating disorder,” they tend to picture extreme thinness or assume it’s all about food. But eating disorders are complex mental health conditions that affect people of all body sizes, genders, ages, and backgrounds — and they don’t all look the same.

Whether you’re a parent, provider, or someone seeking answers, it’s important to understand the different types of eating disorders. Recognizing the signs is the first step toward healing.