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Hi Guys
Did you know that there's some new thing you can order from your dentist that helps you eat less? I've been hearing a lot about it. I am pretty sure it's not a pill or anything like that. Does anyone know what I am talking about it?Sounds interesting and safe if your dentist is involved!
I haven't either but wish someone would post with some info. cause it sounds interesting to me! maybe you should ask this on the forum that discusses new products etc.
I've actually heard something about this - not much though. Apparently, it's NOT jaw wiring - it's some sort of oral appliance though. Supposedly more info will be coming out around the 20th. The website (which I looked at last week, can't remember the URL offhand) has very little info, no description of the appliance or how it works - just asking for dentists to sign up at this point.
What I AM certain of is: 1) we'll all be hearing a lot about it - apparently there's an advertising campaign set to run soon; and 2) it'll be wicked expensive, whatever it turns out to be...
Here's a bit more on the "mystery device"...I'm getting the impression that, rather than being a 'jaw wiring' technique (which I've heard BAD things about...besides, I went through BRACES as a teen and don't want to wear them again!) it's more of an appliance that slows down your chewing or something like that.
This was from the DDS website - a letter from the company addressed to dentists who might offer the device in their practice:
Quote:
Dear Colleague:
I am writing to introduce you to an exciting, new, patented dental appliance that should benefit your patients, your practice, and help tackle one of the fastest growing health issues in the United States.
Recent studies show that Americans are gaining weight at unprecedented rates. Obesity and unhealthy weight gain are contributing to epidemic levels of diabetes, heart disease and osteoarthritis. Soon, overweight and obesity will overtake smoking as the number one health risk and most costly medical condition in the U.S.
As dentists, we have an obligation to impact the health of our patients. The new Scientific Intake appliance can help us do that. It's an elegant and simple approach that has been clinically tested to effectively reduce caloric intake, achieve weight loss, and promote healthy eating habits. Peer reviewed clinical research and case studies have shown that the average person consumes 24.7% fewer calories while using the Scientific Intake appliance. I am certain that many patients in your practice could benefit from safe weight loss.
In the coming weeks you will be contacted by a Scientific Intake representative. I urge you to take the time to listen to what he or she has to say and to learn more about this entirely new method of weight reduction by dental intervention. I trust you will find it to be a valuable addition to your practice and a remarkable way to help the overall health of your patients.
Hm. This should be interesting. I'm tempted to call MY dentist and ask her if she knows anything about it...but I know she's very busy!
Great!! Now I'll have TWO doctors persuading me to lose weight. Imagine how insulting it could be to some folks to have their dentist pushing a weight-loss device on them.....
Really, I'd be surprised if my dentist pushes it, or even if she's signs up to offer it - she's one of those great dentists who, rather than selling a hundreds-of-dollars tooth whitening treatment (which she has the equipment for!), she'll say "let's try the Crest WhiteStrips first and see how THAT works."
However, I'm sure that every DDS in the U.S. has probably received promotional stuff in the mail from these folks...and after paying $450 out of pocket for a $900 crown just a month or so ago, I'm figuring this device will likely cost somewhere in the four figs. 'Twill be interesting...
I recall hearing about something last year that you put in your mouth that was like a fine sieve. You had to chew your food very well or you couldn't swallow it. I wonder if this is anything like that? The webpage says it forces you to eat more slowly.
I have a strong gag reflex, so I'm sure this wouldn't be for me. However, it sounds interesting and I'm sure a lot of people might benefit from it. Still, eating less is only half of the picture. Can it make you walk faster?
My dentist knows how to make me walk faster...come at me with that drill...ai yiyi...
(I AM a wuss at the dentist's...she gives me a Valium anytime she's doing anything other than a cleaning, and I always bring my MP3 player with VERY LOUD SONGS loaded onto it...)
Now I'm picturing something installed that's like a colander or the sieve on my tub drain! Except in the back of my mouth...LOL!!!
Hmmm...sounds interesting...they're obviously kicking off the promotional campaign today - I saw a blurb about it on CNN Headline News this am while doing cardio. Supposedly it costs around $400-$500.
I don't know if I can actually EAT with an appliance in my mouth! I wore braces as a kid and it was DRILLED into me to take my retainer out before I ate...
Just checked their website - they have quite a bit more info there now. I can see the point of the eating too fast thing - I have the same problem myself - especially when I'm multitasking...
Diet Aid Or Gimmick?
May 19, 2004 9:12 am US/Central
It's hard enough to go on a diet. The latest dieting gimmick makes you go to the dentist, too.
An Atlanta company plans to begin selling a dental device that fits in your mouth and forces you to take smaller bites.
It could help you lose weight — as long as you actually use it when you eat. The gadget isn't permanently attached, so you can leave it out and wolf down big bites anytime you want.
But Scientific Intake believes its DDS System is more palatable than a strict diet or surgery. The company expects to begin selling its devices Wednesday for about $400 apiece.
The company's chief executive says he lost 14 pounds simply by wearing it off and on over five months.
"Many people today ... eat so quickly their stomach doesn't have a chance to get a message to the brain" to stop eating, said CEO William Longley. "This helps slow you down, so you feel satisfied on less food."
To get the device, a dentist takes a mold of your mouth and sends it to Scientific Intake, which produces the plastic retainer-like gizmo and ships it back to the dentist for fitting.
With 30 percent of U.S. adults considered to be obese, health officials, nutritionists and even entrepreneurs such as Longley have been searching for answers.
Nutritionists agree that the DDS gadget could help, but some were mystified as to why anyone would spend hundreds of dollars for this approach.
"You don't need a $500 appliance to do this," said Madelyn Fernstrom, director of the Weight Management Center at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center said. "It's not a system — it's simply a physical barrier to eating."
A baby spoon could accomplish the same thing, she suggested. And for the money, she said, some people might want to get a personal trainer.
Still, the company lists a prominent obesity researcher among its scientific advisers, Kelly Brownell who heads Yale's Center for Eating and Weight Disorders. And at a major gathering of diabetes and obesity doctors, Scientific Intake presented results of a study that showed 24 overweight adults lost an average of nearly six pounds with the device over a month.
"This is a significant attempt to ... help people try and change their behavior, but we need more longer-term proof," said Judith Stern, professor of nutrition and internal medicine at the University of California at Davis, who was not involved in the study. "Losing weight is relatively easy. Keeping it off is really, really hard."
Kind of reminds me of what some people do to keep some horses from eating too fast - they feed them with a bit in their mouth to slow them down. (Horses don't just get fat from eating too much too quickly...they can also colic which is NOT fun).
LOL I saw this on the news this morning and had to chuckle at this. I could eat with a retainer or anything in my mouth if I want to eat. LOL I'll save the $500.00 dollars.
Small Bites
Can Dental Device Help You Lose Weight?
ABCNEWS.com
May 20, 2004— A simple dental device that transforms the shape of your mouth is being promoted as a way to help wearers lose extra pounds. But some are cautioning that buyers should beware.
The custom-made device, called the DDS system, sits on the roof of the mouth during meals. The theory is that wearers are forced to take smaller bites, instead of finishing a full plate of food in the blink of an eye.
Slowing the rate at which you eat allows the stomach enough time to signal to the brain that it is full, and that can cut down on the amount of food you eat.
The price of the retainer-like device ranges from $400 to $500. It must be fitted by a dentist.
"It's a very simple thing, it's safe, and it's easy to understand," said Dr. Clifford Williams, a New York dentist. "And because of that, there are no pills, there are no diet the patient has to go on. It's a behavior modification therapy."
Good on the Go
Kelly Lodish, a Detroit business executive who is always on the go, says she lost six pounds over the course of a month by using the device.
"It's easy to pop in on the run, it's small, and it's containable," Lodish said. "I'm a very busy person, I travel for business, so I find that I eat large portions, I eat on the run, I eat poorly. So what the DDS system does for me is it makes me to slow down and eat less."
The manufacturer, Scientific Intake of Atlanta, conducted a two-day study of 32 overweight individuals. It claims the 16 who wore the device consumed 25 percent less food.
But some are wary. Dr. Sheldon Nadler, president of the New York County Dental Society, says buyers should beware.
"I just think that people will not want a lifestyle where they just don't enjoy their food like they used to," Nadler said. "I remember many years ago they were wiring people's jaws shut so that they couldn't chew their food. Better you should lock your refrigerator."
A Test Run
Good Morning America asked two staff volunteers, intern Brian Days and tape coordinator Raelyn Johnson, to try out the device. Over the period of a few days, their mouths were molded and they were fitted with the device. It wasn't enough time to see whether they would lose weight, but they were able to gauge how comfortable the device is.
"I don't like fad diets," Johnson said. So anything is worth a try."
Days found that eating was taking him a while longer.
"I could probably down this whole plate in five or 10 minutes, no problem," he said during one meal. "Now it's going to take me a little bit longer. I've taken about three bites in five minutes."
He had some trouble tasting his meal.
"I can taste something, but it's not that juicy grilled chicken taste," Days said.
Johnson also said her meals weren't great.
"It didn't really go down too smoothly," she said after one meal. "I definitely usually would have eaten more, but that doesn't mean I won't be hungry later. It's just too much of a pain right now, I don't even want to bother with it."
The appliance was the brainchild of a woman who had Torus palatinus, a bulge of bone that grows from the center of the palate. She said it helped her stay thin all her life because she had to take smaller bites and eat more slowly. She got a patent on the appliance and licensed it to Scientific Intake almost three years ago.
New thing that helps you eat less?
not heard about this one at all 
That's pretty funny.....just exactly the mental image that came to my mind as well!
