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Good morning.

This is More Than Teeth—your weekly breath of fresh air in the world of dental sleep medicine. Every edition is crafted to help you not just practice better, but heal deeper. Today, we zoom in on a tiny molecule with mighty potential: Nitric Oxide—what it is, how we lose it, and how simple airway-aware practices can help us get it back.

In Today’s Edition:

1. Why Nitric Oxide Is Being Called the “Miracle Molecule”

2. 3 Easy, Evidence-Based Ways to Boost It (and Why It Matters for Sleep)

3. The Underrated Role of Nasal Breathing, Diet, and Oral Microbiome

4. Clinical Tips You Can Use Today—From Humming to Beets

5-minute read👇

Clinical Corner by Dr Bennett

Use the clinical corner as your secret weapon to impress your colleagues and patients!

Key Takeaways🔑

In my practice, I use nitric oxide (NO)-conscious protocols every day. For example, I encourage nasal breathing at night and discourage antiseptic mouthwash for patients using oral appliances. We counsel patients to breathe with lips closed and tongue up—because that posture activates the body’s own nitric oxide production.

Try this: Add 2 minutes of nasal humming twice daily for patients with chronic sinus congestion, mouth breathing habits, or sluggish healing. Clinical and research data show this significantly boosts nitric oxide in the paranasal sinuses.
👉 Weitzberg & Lundberg, 2002

Can Nitric Oxide Really Help Sleep & Healing?

Yes. And here’s the science:

• Nasal nitric oxide helps sterilize inhaled air and enhances oxygen delivery to tissues, especially critical during deep sleep

• Beetroot juice—rich in dietary nitrate—lowers blood pressure and boosts endothelial function, both essential for restorative sleep
  👉 Kapil et al., 2015
  👉 Siervo et al., 2013 Review

• The normal oral bacteria convert nitrate to nitrite—a step essential for systemic nitric oxide production. Mouthwash can possibly block this pathway, blunting the benefits by killing these “normal” bacteria.
  👉 Antiseptic mouthwash hypothesis

We don’t need a pill to fix sleep—we need to protect the body’s natural design.

What We Recommend:

1. Advocate for nasal breathing. Teach “lips closed, tongue up, breathe through your nose” as a health habit.

2. Preserve the oral microbiome. Caution patients about antiseptic mouthwash if they’re using beets or leafy greens therapeutically. Use a reputable probiotic such as found on Stellalife.com.

3. Add “humming homework”—patients who hum 2x daily for 5 minutes boost NO production, which may aid in sinus health, alertness, and even mood.
   👉 Weitzberg & Lundberg, 2002

   [Watch This Below: Why Humming Heals with James Nestor]

   James Nestor, science journalist and New York Times bestselling author of Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art, has helped millions rediscover the healing power of how we breathe. In this short clip, he explains why humming isn’t just calming—it’s clinically shown to boost nitric oxide production by up to 15x, enhancing sinus health, immune defense, and oxygen delivery.

   It’s simple. It’s free. And it starts with a hum.

   Watch the clip and share with patients—it’s an instant conversation starter in the hygiene chair.

Miscellaneous… But Meaningful

Dentistry isn’t just about plaque and polish—it’s about airway, oxygen, and healing. Nitric oxide isn’t some fringe wellness trend—it’s biochemistry’s way of saying: “breathe better, live better.” And as airway-minded clinicians, we’re on the front lines.

You’re not “just a dentist.” You’re a wellness guide. A sleep ally. A nitric oxide activator.

One breath at a time.

With you in the mission,
—Dr. Mike & Cathy Bennett 🦷💤🌿