28 THE QUEENS COURIER • JULY 18, 2019 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
wellness
Your natural teeth are worth saving
Th e human body is something to marvel
How immunotherapy is changing lives for people with allergies
Every year, more than 50 million
Americans suff er from allergies, and as
pollen production grows in intensity and
duration due to longer freeze-free periods,
that number is only expected to rise.
For chronic allergy suff erers, this can
mean battling symptoms around the calendar,
year aft er year.
Allergies pose a genuine health risk
beyond stuff y noses and itchy, watery
eyes. Th ose with intense allergic symptoms
fi nd their quality of life drastically
aff ected, leading to missed school and
work days, or even emergency room visits.
Severe allergy suff erers may experience
intense congestion, sneezing, hives
or eczema, plus diffi culty breathing. Of
the 26 million Americans who suff er from
asthma, around 60% have allergic asthma,
according to the Asthma and Allergy
Foundation of America, meaning that the
serious, life-threatening respiratory distress
of asthma is triggered by allergic
reactions to pollen and other substances.
Over-the-counter antihistamines and
other allergy medications can provide temporary
relief, but long-term relief requires
fi nding a specialist for inconvenient offi ce
treatments oft en multiple times a week for
several years in a row. Or does it?
Immunotherapy at home
Th e standard of care for allergy treatment,
immunotherapy, was introduced in
1911 based on the positive results of vaccines
that produced protection against
infectious diseases such as smallpox.
Scientists recognized that they could
induce immunity and build
tolerance to allergens by
injecting hay fever
patients with the
pollen to which
they were allergic.
More than
a century later,
only 20% of allergy
suff erers see an
allergy specialist. And
those that do must stick to
a regimented schedule of frequent in-offi
ce visits for treatment for it to be eff ective.
Now, innovation in allergy immunotherapy
means patients can be tested
by their general practitioner instead
of seeking out a specialist, and then conduct
their own treatment at home. Th at
makes it more convenient to not only seek
treatment but also stay committed to the
immunotherapy protocol as it helps their
bodies build up resistance to the allergens
that impact their lives. At-home immunotherapy
allows allergy suff erers to treat
themselves over time.
“Th e biggest challenge is getting a
patient to stay consistent with treatment.
With the traditional method, it’s a huge
inconvenience and time commitment to
have to go to an allergist’s offi ce sometimes
hundreds of times over the course of
years to make a diff erence,” says Hormazd
Sanjana, M.D. of Castle
Hills Family Practice
in San Antonio,
who has incorporated
allergy
immunotherapy
treatment
into his practice.
“To be able
to provide better
access to treatment
to my patients, and a
way for them to conveniently
administer it to themselves on their
time, where they are most comfortable, is
a game changer.”
How does immunotherapy
treatment work?
Th e largest provider of immunotherapy
services, United Allergy Services, has
been working with physicians to create
and administer custom treatments for
patients since 2009. More than 500 primary
care providers off er UAS testing and
treatment right in their offi ces.
• First, an onsite allergy specialist tests
patients for the 48 most common allergens.
• Aft er specifi c triggers are identifi ed,
specifi c doses of the allergen are mixed
for the patient to gradually expose him
or her to very small amounts of the
allergens.
• Th e physician and Clinical Allergy
Specialist guide the patient through
at-home immunotherapy administration
and UAS’s myAllergyPal app helps
patients see test results, track doses and
receive helpful tips between check-in
visits.
• With exposure to increasing amounts
at regular intervals over the course of
treatment, the body is gradually desensitized
to those triggers that once caused
uncomfortable or debilitating symptoms.
Up to 85% of patients on United Allergy
Services’ treatment program start seeing
results within 12 months, some in half that
time. With continued treatment for up to
three years, patients can then discontinue
doses and experience long-term relief.
Tiff any Conner of North Carolina says
“I have lived with allergies my entire life
and now I have almost no symptoms.
Going through at-home immunotherapy
treatment was the best decision I could
have made.”
For help fi nding a primary physician
in your area that off ers United Allergy
Services testing and treatment, visit unitedallergyservices.
com.
Courtesy BPT
at, but sometimes we take it for granted.
Some things, like your natural teeth,
are truly worth the eff ort to take care of
and preserve. And most Americans agree.
A recent survey conducted by the
American Association of Endodontists
revealed that over 95% of Americans
believe it’s important to save your natural
teeth. Th e top two reasons people gave are
that it’s healthier and gives you a better
appearance. Th e survey found that young
people value saving their natural teeth as
much, if not more, than any other aspect
of their body. Nearly a quarter of millennials
rank their teeth as the No. 1 thing
they would save or maintain about their
body, compared to baby boomers’ preference
for saving their eyesight (37%).
“We tend to take our bodies for granted,
so it’s wonderful that younger people
understand the importance of dental
health,” said Dr. Patrick Taylor, president
of Th e American Association of
Endodontists (AAE). “Endodontists take
pride in using advanced training, specialized
techniques and superior technologies
to perform root canal treatment to
help people keep their natural teeth.”
Endodontists are considered the
experts in performing root canal treatments.
Th ey complete two to three additional
years of training related to the interior
of the tooth aft er completing dental
school. Th ey know how to use the most
advanced and specialized technology, and
have greater precision and skill in handeye
coordination to perform even the
most complex treatments.
Here are some important tips from
endodontists to help protect and save
your natural teeth:
Observe oral health care best practices.
Daily brushing and fl ossing are vital
to caring for your teeth. Visit your dentist
for regular checkups, X-rays and cleanings.
Act on tooth pain. Whether you have
cracked or injured teeth, signs of infection,
excessive sensitivity to heat or cold,
or other persistent pain in or around your
teeth, consult an endodontist right away.
Endodontic treatment can save a diseased
tooth or treat abscessed, cracked or dislodged
teeth, but these issues need to be
addressed quickly.
Don’t rush to extract. If a dentist recommends
extraction for a diseased tooth,
ask for a referral to an endodontist to
consider treatments to save your tooth.
If you think that getting a tooth pulled
is easier or less expensive, think again.
Missing teeth can cause other teeth to
shift , aff ect your ability to chew properly
and ruin your smile. Tooth extraction
can be more painful than the infection
itself, and replacing an extracted tooth
with an artifi cial one requires additional
dental visits that can be costly. Even more
importantly, with proper care, most teeth
that have had root canal treatment can
last a lifetime.
Eat a well-balanced diet. To ensure the
health of your teeth and gums, eat healthy
food and avoid drinking excess alcohol,
sugary sports drinks or sodas. If you
smoke, quit now, as smoking can have a
negative impact on your oral health.
Wear a mouthguard for protection. If
you participate in sports, from karate and
boxing to football, hockey or lacrosse,
wear a mouthguard that fully covers your
teeth whenever you are practicing your
sport. Many teams, particularly those for
youth, require mouthguards to protect
the teeth, lips, cheeks and tongues of players,
and for good reason.
When it comes to tooth pain, it is
important to consult an endodontist to
accurately diagnose and treat the problem
as soon as possible. As the dental specialists
that save your natural teeth, endodontists
have the training and expertise
to keep you smiling - with your own natural
teeth.
Visit Findmyendodontist.com to fi nd
an endodontist near you.
Courtesy BPT
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