There’s a new weightloss trend going around and they’re called slimming wires.
In theory, it sounds like a good idea. The whole point is to wire your mouth shut so that you can’t eat any solid food, which means you lose weight. But honestly I couldn’t imagine anything worse than not being able to open my mouth!
From a dental and oral hygiene point of view, it’s really bad for your teeth.
Having your jaw wired shut means you can’t brush your teeth properly. There will be a lot of build up as you will probably be salavating more, and you won’t be able to floss either, meaning anything could be getting stuck between your teeth. Having your jaw wired shut is basically making a massive breeding ground for bacteria and the onset of decay.
Despite the fact that you can only drink liquids, these liquids will most likely have some sort of sugars in them. You need to be able to brush these off otherwise it could lead to decay.
This procedure may also make your jaw ache, which sounds silly seen as you won’t be using it, but you may find you start clenching, even if you don’t realise it. You may do it in your sleep. It’s natural for people to be able to open their mouths and stretch the muscles associated with this. Your face may become very tender and painful because of this.
The last thing that worries me about wiring your mouth shut is, what happens if you are sick? You’ll have all this sicky buildup and stomach acid just sat on the back of your teeth. Anyone with long lasting stomach problems such as acid reflux will probably tell you, that stuff can wear down your teeth pretty quickly if not cleaned away in a proper manner.
So as dentists, we cannot condone slimming wires. Please be wary whenever looking into a procedure like this. It’s usually just a fad or internet gimmick, and it may cause irreperable damage to your teeth and oral health.