Community Magazine July 2012

What a Dentist Can Teach You About Your Nose It seems like every day that our dental office sees patients who have a sinus infection or allergy that makes their teeth hurt enough to think they have a root canal. After an examination, x-ray and a few questions, it is often discovered that the teeth are fine but the sinuses are the problem. Another common reason that we see patients with sinus issues is because many patients come to us for a dental device that treats snoring. In many cases, these patients are not able to breathe through their nose and end up “mouth-breathing” when they sleep. Helping them breathe through their nose is an important part of treating their snoring and sleep disorder. Chronic sinus problems due to infection or allergy are common because the nose is the body’s first line of defense against infections and allergens. For years, people have used nasal sprays, neti pots, nebulizers, antibiotics, anti-histamines, and other techniques to treat the sinuses. But we have found that the HydroPulse™ Nasal Irrigator is the safest and by far the most effective way to treat and prevent sinus problems. Hydro Pulse™ is a small but effective device that looks like the WaterPik™ we use for cleaning the teeth and gums. It uses a gentle, pulsating (not steady!) stream of a saline or enhanced nasal moisturizing solution to moisturize the sinuses, remove foreign matter, and massage the cilia of the mucous membranes to help restore their normal immune system function. The nasal and sinus cilia are microscopic hairs that serve as the body’s first line of defense against contagions, foreign matter, particles, and allergens. These cilia normally wave in a pulsing motion to get rid of foreign matter, sweeping them to the back of the throat so they can be eliminated in stomach acids. The pulsating stream of the Hydro Pulse™ causes cilia to pulsate with their natural motion while moisturizing and cleansing to maintain the cilia and membranes’ healthy state. Prevention is the first step to good health. This is a natural, drug-free treatment which helps avoid overuse of antibiotics, and is effective in removing allergens and bacteria or viruses. These units, which can be purchased from Amazon.com, are so simple to use, that kids can do it themselves. In fact, over 300,000 people use the Hydro Pulse, and the system is prescribed and employed by leading university medical centers. We recommend that patients at risk for sinusitis use the HydroPulse™ every day, as part of a good preventive pro gram. A pleasant, three-minute treatment is all you need to cleanse your sinuses and maintain the healthy body’s natural disease fighting mechanisms – the cilia – as opposed to just treating symptoms. JACQUES DOUECK, DDS 96 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE