The best way to prevent bulimia jaw is to seek help for bulimia nervosa as soon as possible. Ending purging behavior and improving your relationship with food and eating can reduce or eliminate the impact of bulimia jaw. But acknowledging you may have an eating disorder and seeking treatment are not easy. It often takes gentle encouragement and support from a loved one to realize you need help and explore treatment options.
What is ‘Bulimia Jaw’?
When someone has been struggling with long-term bulimia nervosa, they can sometimes experience bulimia jaw. The ailment is derived from a number of issues connected to the purging behavior associated with BN.
Causes of Bulimia Jaw
Frequent vomiting can lead to inflammation of the parotid glands (major salivary glands), which are located just under the ears. This swelling can not only be painful but also result in an altered face shape. This is sometimes referred to as bulimia jaw or bulimia cheeks.
Enamel erosion is another factor, also caused by frequent vomiting. In particularly bad cases, teeth can become so severely eroded that it can lead to a change in your bite or the alignment of your teeth and jaw.1
The malnourishment associated with long-term bulimia can also contribute to bulimia jaw. Osteoporosis, or a weakening of the bones, is a common symptom of malnourishment, and the effect can lead to a misaligned jaw.1
Does Binge Eating Disorder Cause Jaw Pain?
Binge eating is an eating disorder characterized by eating a large amount of food in a short amount of time. It’s accompanied by a loss of control over what or how much you’re eating.7
Binge eating disorder and other eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa, aren’t defined by purging behavior as seen in bulimia nervosa, which is the cause of bulimia jaw. Therefore, those with binge eating disorder don’t necessarily have issues with jaw pain or misalignment.
Physical Signs: Facial Pain, Chipmunk Cheeks
Signs of bulimia jaw include swelling in the cheeks and jaw, which makes the face look puffier (i.e., chipmunk cheeks). The experience can also be painful.
A misaligned bite may be harder to detect, but it’s characterized by teeth not meeting as they normally would. This particular symptom can also cause facial pain, or result in neck pain, migraines, or even shoulder pain.
Repeated purging behavior can even lead to significant misalignment of a person’s jaw, which can be extremely painful and cause notable bite changes.2
When the swelling of the jowls and lower jaw becomes severe enough, it can push on the jaw joints, causing a domino effect that can send pain all the way from the shoulders to the neck. In some cases, surgery may be required to fix the issue.
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How Long Does Bulimia Jaw Take to Develop?
More research is needed to determine how long it typically takes for someone to develop bulimia jaw. But the ailment and its related issues are more common among people who purge frequently. And the longer a person has been purging, the more likely they are to experience these effects.
One study noted that swelling along the jawline can occur for as long as three to six days after a purging episode.3 Still, every patient may experience the issue differently, depending on their unique habits, physiology, and the severity of their condition.
Other Oral Health Problems Related to Bulimia Nervosa
Bulimia jaw isn’t the only oral complication that can result from frequent purging.
Self-induced vomiting can introduce more acid to the delicate digestive system. This causes damage to the surfaces it runs over, including the esophagus lining and tooth enamel.
The combination of frequent purging and nutritional deficiencies commonly associated with bulimia can result in a number of other issues, including:4
- Tooth decay
- Dental pain
- Dry-mouth
- Decreased saliva excretion
- Decreased salivary pH
- Swallowing impairment
Most of these issues can be reversed or corrected completely with proper nourishment from a variety of foods and by stopping purging behavior. The only two exceptions are tooth decay and enamel erosion, which, unfortunately, represent permanent damage and must be addressed as quickly as possible to prevent further deterioration.4
How to Treat Bulimia Jaw
The oral effects of bulimia nervosa can be distressing and painful, and they are only some of the health impacts the eating disorder can cause.
In severe cases, some of these issues may require surgery in order to improve. Still, many of these problems will begin to self-correct with proper treatment.
Adopting a healthier relationship with food and eating, and reducing or eliminating purging behaviors, can go a long way in reducing swelling and any damaging effects of stomach acid.
Treating Bulimia Nervosa and Other Eating Disorders
Bulimia nervosa can take a massive toll on your physical and mental health—swollen salivary glands aren’t the only thing to worry about. It’s a severe mental illness that requires therapy and medical care to overcome.
Fortunately, there are a number of therapies that can be effective to treat mental disorders, like bulimia nervosa, and other complications that may result from having a serious eating disorder, including:5
- Interpersonal psychotherapy
- Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
- Group therapy
- Family therapy
- Art therapy
- Self-help
In some cases, medication to treat co-occurring conditions and even hospitalization may be required to treat medical complications and physical symptoms.
The process may be long and difficult, but with the right guidance and support, recovery from bulimia and its effects is possible.
Resources
- Bulimia: Oral Effects. (2022). Colgate. Accessed December 12, 2022.
- Can Someone Experience Jaw Pain From Bulimia? (n.d.). Well Behavioral Health. Accessed July 8, 2025.
- Brady JP. (1985). Parotid Enlargement in Bulimia. The Journal of Family Practice; 20(5):496-500.
- Bretz WA. (2002). Oral Profiles of Bulimic Women: Diagnosis and Management. What is the Evidence? The Journal of Evidence-Based Dental Practice; 2(4):267–272.
- Costa MB, & Melnik T. (2016). Effectiveness of psychosocial interventions in eating disorders: an overview of Cochrane systematic reviews. Einstein (Sao Paulo, Brazil); 14(2):235–277.
- Fluoxetine. (2022, January 15). National Library of Medicine. Accessed September 14, 2022.
- Definition & Facts for Binge Eating Disorder. (2021). National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.