The typical American can gobble up a hamburger in five minutes. He may be deep into his second burger by the time his brain gets the message from his tummy, "I'm full!'' By then, he's stuffed.

Bob Donaldson/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The DDS System dental device, shown attached to a mold of the upper teeth.

Eating slowly may be one way to cut calorie consumption, according to inventors of a new dental device that limits how fast one can eat.

More than 25 dentists in the Pittsburgh area have become certified to offer the DDS System, a retainer-like appliance that a person wears on the roof of his mouth while eating. By taking up space in the mouth, it forces the wearer to take smaller bites.

"It slows the process down. If you can get eight to 10 minutes on the first sandwich, all of a sudden the body says, 'Gee, I'm full,' said Dr. John Gruendel, who shares an Oakland practice with Drs. Charles Miller and S. Rand Werrin that started offering the device in late spring.

The device is not cheap -- cost is $400 -- and it isn't covered by insurance. And it requires self-discipline. It only works if the diner uses it.

"I look at it like Nicorette gum,'' Gruendel said. "That's where the downfall comes. You need compliancy. It's only a helping hand.''

Founders of Scientific Intake in Atlanta spent three years developing this device that focuses on behavior modification. A small study showed that people using it ate 25 percent less and can lose an average of six pounds per month.

Eating slowly and savoring your food is a key ingredient in the traditional Mediterranean lifestyle, which promotes a healthy weight, studies show.

Will Clower of Forest Hills, a neurophysiologist at University of Pittsburgh noted the importance of slow eating in his book, "Fat Fallacy: The French Diet Secrets to Permanent Weight Loss.'' The relaxed dining is one way most of the French are able to stay slim despite a daily diet of full-fat cream and cheeses, eggs and decadent desserts.

But there's more to just eating slowly, he said. It's most effective if combined with meditation (to reduce stress, which can also cause over-consumption), daily exercise and eating "real food" such as fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

"The mouthpiece may work in the short term, but when the apparatus comes off at an office party, on vacation or even at home, what happens then?'' he asked. "If you have not learned new healthy habits to replace the old ones that got you in the mess you're in, you'll slip right back into your old ways.''

Madelyn Fernstrom, director of UPMC Weight Management Center, was a little more blunt.

"It could be a tool for some people, but it's an expensive tool. You could buy a baby spoon for $2 and have the same effect.''

Colleen Pavillian, a dental assistant in the Dental Medicine department at St. Barnabus Medical Center in Richland, has been testing the device for about a month. (Many dental offices try out new devices on employees or relatives to get kinks out of them before offering them to patients.)

She wears it only during lunch, her main meal of the day. "You do eat slower. You can't take huge bites with this thing.''

Before she started wearing it, her usual lunch at Panera Bread Co., for example, would be soup, half a sandwich, a roll and dessert. With the device, she's full before she gets to the roll and dessert.

Pavillian figures she has lost about two pounds, and would have lost more if she had worn it at every meal. "What I found is the most difficult thing is remembering to carry it with you.''

And she acknowledged that she probably won't take it with her on her upcoming vacation.

Dr. Timothy Sluser, who has offices in the Fox Chapel area, New Kensington and Vandergrift with Drs. Jeff Petrina and Rick Rivardo, said his staff is just now testing the device, but predicts it will help patients form new eating habits. They can wean themselves off the appliance and if they start gorging again they can resume wearing it.

For patients interested in the device, the dentist would review the person's medical history, making sure there are no other health problems or an eating disorder. He or she would then take an impression of the patient's upper mouth. The device is made in Atlanta and usually available within two weeks.

After each use, the patient removes the appliance, washes it and stores it in a container until the next meal.

"It's an amazingly simple device,'' Gruendel said.

You can find out more about the system, as well as find a list of local dentists providing it, at www.ddssystem.com.