Bite-size portions? Dental device cuts down on guessing
The latest weight-loss scheme is neither a diet nor a pill but a custom-made insert that reduces the size of the mouth, forcing diners to take smaller bites, eat more slowly and, presumably, feel satisfied with less food.
The DDS System, a product of Atlanta-based Scientific Intake, closely resembles an orthodontic retainer, though it “drops down a couple of millimeters into the oral cavity,” according to Lois Rinehimer, a Hartford, Conn., dentist. She said the gadget, which has just hit the market, costs between $400 and $500.
Getting a DDS System appliance will require at least two dental appointments. Dentists will take an impression of the upper mouth that will be used to create a custom-fitting insert. It is mostly plastic but has two small metal pieces that help anchor it. The idea behind DDS is that people who eat more slowly will trigger the body’s natural satiety, or fullness, signal before they’ve overeaten.
Psychologist Kelly D. Brownell, director of the Yale Center for Eating and Weight Disorders, is identified in a Scientific Intake news release as “a compensated member of the scientific advisory board of Scientific Intake.”
Brownell said that people often report that when they slow their eating, they tend to be satisfied with less and enjoy their food more. “Any approach that helps people moderate their food intake, such as helping them to slow eating, could have a very positive impact,” he said, but he added that further research is needed to evaluate the system’s effect on weight loss. In one small study, those using the insert ate about 25% less food than a similar group with unfettered mouths.
Rinehimer noted that the DDS System is a nondrug, nonsurgical alternative for the weight-conscious. But she added that users must be highly motivated. They’ll have to find a way to slip the device out of its case and into the mouth before picking up the salad fork.
And they might not be the sterling conversationalists they were before they started using the appliance. According to the Scientific Intake website, “Most report that wearing the appliance affects their speech, but in a manageable way.” In addition, it must be rinsed or brushed with toothpaste after every use.
Rinehimer said that adding weight control to her dentist’s duties is not such a huge shift. “We’re treating more than just the mouth,” she said. “We’re treating the entire patient.”
Sue Gebo, a registered dietitian in West Hartford, said the reasoning behind the device appears to be sound but added that it might be a bit cumbersome to use. “I guess it was only a matter of time before something like that was going to show up in the world,” she said.
