CPAP: IS IT STILL THE GOLD STANDARD FOR TREATING SLEEP APNEA? ARE ORAL APPLIANCES TAKING THE LEAD AS THE NEW GOLD STANDARD FOR MILD TO MODERATE OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) October 31, 2009 -- CPAP has been the primary method for treating Obstructive Sleep Apnea since Dr. Colin Sullivan, developed the pioneering device. His original device used a vacumn cleaner running in reverse to blow air in patients noses using silastic tubing to give an open airway. The original machines were very loud, bulky and uncomfortable.

There has been an explosion of improvements in CPAP machines in the last 25 years and every aspect has been improved. The machines are smaller, quieter and frequently come with heated humidification, heated hoses, more comfortable masks in hundreds of styles and connections. There are BiPap machines and CPAP machines that are ramp up pressure after the patient is asleep.

In spite of never-ending improvments and variety of machines and special functions patients still do not continue to use their CPAP. CPAP compliance is the norm with the majority of patients abandoning CPAP use usually within six months. About 25% of patients love their CPAP machines from the first ay and continue with CPAP use nightly. Studies have shown that even patients who continue CPAP use average only 4-5 hours a night not the 7 1/2 - 8 hours required for ideal health.

Dr Ira Shapira is a Chicago dentist who has been treating sleep apnea patients since the 1980's when he did research as a visiting assistant professor at Rush Medical School. In the early days the only time Dr Shapira ever saw a patient was after they had failed CPAP, UP3 Surgery, Nasal Surgery and frequently other surgeries or drug trials. In those days there were only a couple of commercial appliances the TRD and the Equalizer. Many patients were not ideally suited for either appliance and adjustment or titration was impossible. Dr Shapira frequently made custom appliances to meet the individual patients needs.

Today there are over 100 commercially available and FDA approved oral appliances for treating sleep apnea but there are still occasions where specialized customizations are necessary. In over 25 years of treating sleep apnea the number one comment Dr Shapira heard from patients was "I HATE CPAP!" and that eventually led to the formation of I HATE CPAP! LLC a company dedicated to informing the public about the dangers of Sleep Apnea and the role of Dental Sleep Medicine and Oral Appliances in treating sleep apnea. A website http://www.ihatecpap.com was created that responded to the patients who could not tolerate CPAP. The appeal to the public was overwhelming and almost 10,000 visitors come on a monthly basis to find comfortable oral appliance alternative to CPAP.

Approximately 87% of the ten thousand monthly visitors are first time visitors looking for comfortable alternatives to CPAP and for Sleep Apnea Dentists. The site has a find a dentist section to help patients find a convenient and trained dental professional to treat their sleep apnea and to provide effective snoring treatment. The team at I HATE CPAP! will help patients locate a dentist if a member dentist is not in their immediate vicinity.

The site promotes treatment of Sleep Apnea as being vital and Dr Shapira stresses that he does not hate CPAP, in fact he frequently gets patients to use the CPAP they abandoned. Treatment is essential but an unused CPAP machine is just clutter. It is important that each and every patient be presented with all of the possible treatment regiments including CPAP, Positional Therapy Weight Loss, Oral Appliances, and Surgical and Behavioral treatments. Dentists are part of a medical team that treats sleep apnea and all dentists should work with the patients sleep physicians to obtain the best results. Dr Shapira recommends that patients seek out sleep labs accredited by the AASM or American Academy of Sleep Medicine and seek out physicians that are certified in sleep medicine or Diplomates of the AASM.

The website www.ihatecpap.com has been a major force in highlighting Dental Sleep Medicine as a sleep apnea treatment option. In February of 2006 tha American Acaemy of Sleep Medicine released new paramaters of care for treating sleep apnea with oral appliances.
CPAP and Oral Appliances are first line treatments for mild to moderate sleep apnea and oral appliances are an alternative to CPAP for severe apnea when patients do not tolerate CPAP.

Surgery is still frequently a first line treatment only for pediatric sleep apnea in patients with enlarged tonsils and adenoids. Surgery is not considered a first line treatment for most adult obstructive sleep apnea.

The CPAP manufactures have struggled with CPAP compliance for years but have now decided to join the oral appliance therapy revolution. Respironics is the largest manufacturer of CPAP and BiPAP machines but now has an oral appliance therapy available for dental professionals. Michael Farrell is the global head of ResMed’s Sleep Business Unit. As a Senior Vice President of the second largest maker of CPAP his October 1,2009 announcement that it had acquired Laboratoires Narval (“Narval”) in Lyon. Narval is the French manufacturer and distributer of oral appliances for the treatment of sleep Disordered breathing. Laboratoires Narval primarily sells its products in France but has had booths at dental meetings in the United States. See Sleep and Health Journal http://www.sleepandhealth.com/node/496

Fisher-Paykel has seen some of its top sles and management team leave to join forces with Airway Management the maker of the TAP appliance. The world of sleep medicine is rapidly changing. The AADSM, American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine has an article on its website on using oral appliances successfully for treating severe sleep apnea.

Dr Shapira could not be more pleased with the changes taking place. He believes that the time has come to recognize that oral appliances are probably the Gold Standard for mild to moderate sleep apnea. There will always be a place for both therapies but the high compliance rates with oral appliances make it at least equal to CPAP for most mild to moderate apneas.

There are problems with oral appliance therapy and the appliances can cause tooth movement and frequently cause some bite changes but these problems are usually mild and not enough to prevent patient compliance. Some patients chose to alternate between the treatments. Patients with severe apnea can often benefit by combination therapy utilizing an oral appliance in conjunction with CPAP.

Dr Shapira often jokes that he was a "quack" for 25 years but now he is an expert. He was one of 20 dentists from around the United States who formed the Sleep Disorder Dental Society 18 years ago. He was a creentialed member of the SDDS which later became the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine and teaches course in dental sleep medicine in his Gurnee office. He has lectured at American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine, at the International College of CranioMandibular Orthopedics, At numerous study clubs and other lectures and has a chapter on Anti-Aging Dentistry in a textbook on Anti-Aging Medicine. His newest project is a new website http:// www.ihateheadaches.org where he hopes to bring drug free Neuromuscular Dental Treatment of migraines and chronic daily tension-type headaches to the public attention. The NHLBI OR NATIONAL HEART LUNG AND BLOOD INSTITUTE CONSIDERS SLEEP APNEA TO BE A TMJ DISORDER http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/meetings/workshops/tmj_wksp.pdf AND IN ADDITION TO CAUSING SLEEP APNEA TMJ DISORDERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF HEADACHES. Dr Shapira hopes that it does not take 25 years to change headache treatment.

Contact Dr Shapira TOLL FREE at 1-8-NO PAP-MASK
WWW.IHATECPAP.COM
WWW.DELANYDENTALCARE.COM
www.chicagoland.ihatecpap.com/
WWW.IHATEHEADACHES.ORG

More information can be found online at http://www.ihatecpap.com

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