Objectively Evaluate Nasal Form and Function with the NARIS System
The nasal airway is a critical, often-overlooked component of comprehensive dental care. The NARIS diagnostic suite provides the essential tools to objectively measure nasal anatomy, airflow, and resistance, empowering you with the data needed for successful treatment planning and collaborative care.
Why Nasal Airway Assessment is Crucial for Dentistry
- Success of Oral Appliance Therapy (OSA): A patent nasal airway is a prerequisite for successful OSA treatment. Objectively verify if nasal obstructions will impede therapy before you even begin.
- Craniofacial Development: In pediatric patients, chronic mouth breathing due to nasal obstruction can lead to improper facial growth, high palatal vaults, and malocclusion.
- Informed Collaborative Care: Generate clear, objective data to facilitate effective referrals to ENTs and allergists, ensuring your patients receive maximum treatment success.
- TMD & Postural Issues: Altered breathing patterns can affect head and neck posture, which is often a contributing factor to temporomandibular disorders.
NARIS Diagnostic Suite
Acoustic Rhinometry
This technique uses sound pulses to map the physical dimensions of the nasal cavity. It provides a clear, graphical representation of the nasal airway’s cross-sectional area, allowing you to instantly identify the location and severity of any constrictions.
- Technology: GMI Acoustic Rhinometer R3
- What it Measures: Nasal cavity volume and cross-sectional area from the nasal valve to the nasopharynx.
- Clinical Insights: Immediately visualize obstructions caused by a deviated septum, enlarged turbinates, or nasal valve collapse.
Rhinomanometry
This technique directly measures how well a patient can actually breathe. By recording air pressure and flow rate during respiration, it quantifies nasal resistance, providing a functional assessment of the airway.
- Technology: NR6 Rhinomanometer
- What it Measures: Nasal airway resistance (pressure/flow relationship).
- Clinical Insights: Objectively determine if the patient’s breathing is within normal functional limits or if anatomical constrictions are causing significant airway resistance.