Melissa Amos, a 45-year-old mother of three from Hertfordshire, has lost approximately two stone (28 pounds) without resorting to restrictive diets or weight-loss injections. Her weight loss is an unexpected side effect of using Invisalign, a brand of clear dental aligners.
Amos had previously maintained a healthy lifestyle with yoga and regular walks, but her weight began to increase in her 40s, partly due to what she described as mindless snacking on items like chocolate, cereal bars, and cheese. Her weight rose from under 11 stone to over 13 stone, classifying her as obese according to NHS guidelines.
Her journey to address her weight began in March of last year during a dental visit for a protruding front tooth. Her dentist recommended Invisalign, which typically costs between £1,500 and £5,500 and is used by hundreds of thousands of Britons. The aligners are usually worn for about 18 months and can be removed for eating.
Crucially, patients are advised to wear the aligners for at least 22 hours a day, a requirement that significantly impacted Amos's eating habits. "My dentist said that if I wasn’t consistent from the beginning, it would affect the entire course of my treatment," she stated. This commitment led her to become more conscious of her food choices. "I sometimes used food as a distraction or a way of soothing myself. Since I had to take the Invisalign out every time I wanted to eat, each time I got the urge to snack I had to stop and ask myself, 'Am I genuinely hungry, or am I trying to change how I feel?'"
This change in behavior had a direct effect on her weight. Within a month, she lost over two pounds, and continued to lose more in the following months. As her weight improved, Amos, who works as a mental wellbeing coach, felt motivated to increase her physical activity, incorporating weight training into her routine. She also revised her diet, using AI chatbot ChatGPT to identify a lack of protein. She now consumes more protein-rich foods such as eggs, yogurt, cottage cheese, and peanut butter, reporting feeling more satisfied and less hungry.
Dr. Daniel Sutcliffe, founder of The Bespoke Dentist in London, confirmed that many patients have reported similar weight loss experiences with Invisalign. He noted that the added step of removing and reinserting the aligners acts as a deterrent to casual snacking, effectively creating a "hurdle between you and the biscuit tin."