A Star Trek tricorder for modern dentists?

this is related but a tad off topic...

i've damaged my teeth with bulimia. there's what they call pitting in the backs of my teeth and a lot of enamel has worn off. my teeth are sensitive and have even begun to chip in a few areas. it's especially upsetting to me because i used to have beautiful healthy teeth..never a cavity and i used to get complements on them all the time, but i stray.....
i went to my dentist and she said the only thing to do now is to get crowns. i was shocked and now i'm terrified, because i realize it's a huge ordeal and very expensive (something i cant afford on my teacher's salary and i'm still paying off debts from grad school). she continued to say that there's no point in doing it until i'm completely over my eating disorder. i asked if there's anything else she could do...some sort of protective coating? anything? what about the same thing they use for fillings? she said no and that fillings would actually make the teeth weaker, which i didn't understand.

i'm wondering, is this tuly the case or is she just trying to milk me for money? i know expensive procedures are a dentist's bread and butter, so i just dont know what to do. i rinse with fouride, brush, floss, and in the case of an episode i rinse after with water with baking soda to neutralize the acids.

i'm in the process of healing but still have episodes. if i do end up getting the crowns and i relapse, could it damage them? is there a dentist out there or anyone with experience with this? or information? suggestions? is there something i could do while i'm trying to get better to prevent further decay of my teeth? any help is appreciated. thank you and be well

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