The intra-oral device is fitted by a dental professional to the upper and lower back teeth. (Credit: University of Otago)

An intra-oral device is fitted by a dental professional to the upper and lower back teeth. The DentalSlim Diet Control uses magnetic devices with unique custom-manufactured locking bolts. It allows wearers to open their mouths only about 2 mm, restricting them to a liquid diet, but it allows free speech and doesn’t restrict breathing.

Researchers say the device will be an effective, safe, and affordable tool for people battling obesity. It is fitted by a dentist, can be released by the user in the case of an emergency, and can be repeatedly fitted and removed. It is a noninvasive, reversible, economical, and attractive alternative to surgical procedures.

The tool could be particularly helpful for those having to lose weight before they can undergo surgery, and for diabetes patients for whom weight loss could initiate remission. Patients are given a tool to open the device in an emergency, but none of the study participants needed to use it. While they all described the device as tolerable, the design has since been improved, making it smaller to improve functional comfort and aesthetics.

Once patients are fitted with the device, after two or three weeks they can have the magnets disengaged. They could then have a period with a less-restricted diet and then go back into treatment.

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