Hate CPAP? CPAP alternatives to be discussed at the Big Sleep Show in Chicago May 9-10.
Dr Ira L Shapira is a Sleep apnea dentist and pioneer of dental sleep medicine. He will be giving informational lectures on Dental Sleep Medicine at the Big Sleep Show in Chicago. Oral appliances are preferred by most patients who are offered a Choice on treatment.


/Dental News Articles/ - GURNEE, IL, May 09, 2008 - The Big Sleep Show in Chicago will be held on May 9-10. There will be lectures on all aspects of sleep. Dr Ira L Shapira will be giving lectures on Dental Sleep Medicine and how oral appliances offer comfortable alternatives to CPAP. Sleep Apnea is a disease that often has devestating effects including a six-fold increase in heart attacks and strokes. CPAP is considered the gold standard of treatment for sleep apnea and is very effective. Unfortunately less than half of the patients who are prescribed CPAP use it on a regular basis. Oral appliances are a comfortable and effective alternatives to CPAP. The National Sleep Foundation has declared that oral appliances are a therapy whose time has come. Dr Ira Shapira is a pioneer of Dental Sleep Medicine who has helped nurture the growth of Dental Sleep Medicine. He did research in the 1980's at Rush medical School's sleep center on the relation of jaw position to sleep apnea. His research showed similarites between the jaw position of sleep apnea patients and TMJ disorder patients. He was a charter and credentialed member of the Sleep Disorder Dental Society which later became the American Acaemy of Dental Sleep Medicine. Dr Shapira is a Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine and a founing member of DOSA, The Dental Organization for Sleep Apnea. He currently teaches several courses a year on Dental Sleep Medicine to dentists. Dr Shapira is the Dental Section Editor of Sleep and Health Journal and he has had several articles on dental sleep meicine published in that journal. Dr Shapira lectured on numerous occasions on Anti-Aging Dentistry at A4M, The American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine. One lecture was published as a chapter in a textbook on Anti-Aging Medicine.

Dr Shapira founded I HATE CPAP! LLC to promote the concepts of Dental Sleep Medicine across the United States and Canada. The website http://www.ihatecpap.com has recieved millions of hits and over 100,000 unique visitors looking for information on sleep apnea and alternatives to CPAP used to treat sleep apnea. The find a dentist section of ihatecpap.com helps link patients seeking treatment with qualified sleep apnea dentists. Patients who are sick and tired of cpap or just looking for a more comfortable alternative to CPAP can find help at the website.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has accepted oral appliances as a first line treatment for mild to moderate sleep apnea and as an alternative treatment for severe apnea in patients who do not tolerate CPAP. Research has shown that less than half of all patients prescribed CPAP actually use it. Even the patients who use CPAP average only 4-5 hours of nightly use not the recommended 7 1/2 hour a night.

Dr Shapira works with Sleep labs across Chicagoland and Southern Wisconsin and has served as a consultant to numerous sleep labs. He practices with his partner in Gurnee at Delany Dental Care Ltd. He recently founded Chicagoland Dental Sleep Medicine Associates and will be providing treatment of sleep apnea in offices across Chicagoland. His titration protocols for oral appliance therapy re used at sleep labs across the country.

Dr Shapira also holds several patents on methods and devices for collection of bone marrow and Stem cells from the jaws and other
areas of the body. His devices are intended to change the practice of oral surgery by allowing early minimally invasive removal of wisdom teeth at a young age while collecting high quality stem cells that he hopes will serve in the development of a vaccine against aging.

Dr Shapira will be available at the Big Sleep Show in Chicago to discuss many of these issues.

Further Related Resources:


Press Release Contact Information:

Ira Shapira
Sleep and Health Journal
Section editor/author
1810 Delany Road
Gurnee, Illinois
USA 60035
Voice: 847-623-5530
Fax: 847-623-7233
Website: Visit Our Website