Forget Ozempic face the real worry is Ozempic teeth

As weight loss drugs grow in popularity, the potential side effects are gaining attention. Helen Coffey speaks to dentists warning that jabs may have a worrying impact on oral health

- Helen Coffey

It’s official – Americans spent the same amount of money on weight loss injections as the country’s entire foreign aid budget in 2023. According to a study by the American Medical Association and the Centers for Disease Control, the figure spent on GLP-1 drugs – so named because they mimic the effects of a naturally occurring hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 to lower blood sugar – hit a staggering $71bn. In the UK, research released in January 2025 and reported by the Telegraph revealed that more than one in 10 women are on the jabs in total, while an estimated 500,000 people are signed up to Mounjaro or Wegovy on a private prescription.

As the takeup of these drugs, acquired via both the NHS and offlabel prescriptions, continues on an ever-upward trajectory, more concerns are being raised about potential long-term side effects. A possible link with a deterioration in bone health and skeletal muscle mass has been flagged, with Dr Doug Lucas, a trauma and orthopaedic surgeon and director of education and training for Screen My Bones, calling it potentially “catastrophic” and “frightening”. Meanwhile, a large-scale study found that those taking GLP-1s were nearly 2.5 times more likely to develop drug-induced acute pancreatitis, a serious condition where the pancreas becomes inflamed.

Now, another warning has raised its head. Forget “Ozempic face”, the colloquial term for ageing and sagging facial skin, deepened lines or hollowed cheeks associated with rapid weight loss – should we be worrying about the even more unpleasantsounding “Ozempic teeth”?