The role of dentistry in treatment of obesity – Review

Introduction/objective: Jaw Wiring (JW) is one of the controversial treatment modalities for obese individuals. It aims at limiting the food intake of the patient resulting in weight loss. The authors conducted a literature review to explore the historical development, effectiveness, indications, advantages and disadvantages of Jaw Wiring (JW) as treatment modality for obese individuals.

Data sources: PubMed, Scopus, Medline and Google Scholar have been searched for papers that addressed the effectiveness of JW in the treatment of obesity since 1979 till present. No restriction regarding the type of the articles has been considered.

Results: JW as a method of obesity management is a highly controversial issue. Almost all papers are retrospective, uncontrolled trials with a small sample size or anecdotal opinions. However, current data indicate that although JW is efficient in weight loss relatively faster than other treatment modalities, weight regaining is a constant finding in approximately all patients after JW discontinuation. Aspiration of vomit, gingival diseases, teeth decalcification and temporomandibular disorders are potential side effects. Such extreme treatment method should be approached carefully in a properly selected category of obese patients.

Conclusion: JW is an efficient way in terms of weight control in properly selected obese patients and usually no serious complications could be encountered through the treatment course.