/24-7PressRelease/ - GURNEE, IL, August 12, 2008 - Medical experts worldwide agree that good sleep is vitally important for overall health. Obstructive sleep apnea is probably the best-known sleep disorder but it is still woefully under diagnosed and under treated. This affects not just health of the patient but also of the patient's family and the public. Patients with untreated sleep apnea have a six-fold increase in motor vehicle accidents and a 300% increase in motor vehicle accidents involving severe injury. It is a bigger problem to the safety of our roads than drunk driving. A study at Mayo showed that spouses of snorers lose 15% of their sleep. Snoring is considered often considered a funny problem and it has long been fodder for comedians and sitcoms but it is also a major warning sign of sleep apnea. Additional information is available at
http://www.ihatecpap.com .
Dr Michael Gelb is well known as one of the top dentists treating TMJ disorders and chronic pain. He is also treating sleep disordered breathing, which is fitting. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has declared the oral appliances are a first line treatment for snoring and mild to moderate sleep apnea. The academy also stated in their February 2006 article in Sleep that dentists treating sleep apnea should be thoroughly versed in the treatment of TM Joint disorders. Michael Gelb probably fits that bill as well or better than any other dentist in the country. His father Dr Harold Gelb is a pioneer in the field of TMJ disorders and the mentor to more TMJ dentists than any other figure in the field. He is a personal mentor of this author and responsible for the early direction of my career.
Michael is a superstar in his own right. He is the former Director of the TMJ and Orofacial Pain Program at the NYU College of Dentistry and is also Clinical Professor in the Department of Oral Medicine and Pathology at the NYU College of Dentistry, Division of Basic Science. He is a Clinical Assistant Professor at Tufts University in Boston. He was awarded Diplomate of the American Board of Orofacial Pain in 1995. Dr. Gelb is a co-inventor of the NORAD, or Nocturnal Oral Airway Dilator appliance that reduces snoring by positioning the patient's tongue and jaw so that airways stay open. He has also updated the Gelb or MORA appliance, named after his father and has 3 patents pending for sleep and pain management.
Dr Gelb has recently joined with I HATE CPAP! L.L.C. to bring better sleep and health and to inform the public about the nature of obstructive sleep apnea. Michael will be an enormous resource for I HATE CPAP!! according to founder Dr Ira L Shapira. With his help we will improve and save lives not just in New York but also around the country. The website
www.ihatecpap.com is the premiere site for information about sleep apnea and snoring. Dr Michael Gelb can be found in the find a dentist area of the website. The focus of the site is on treatment of snoring and sleep apnea using comfortable oral appliances in place of CPAP. CPAP is considered the Gold Standard for treatment of obstructive sleep apnea and is routinely prescribed by sleep physicians. That would be the end of the story but unfortunately most patients do not use their CPAP and that can be deadly. Studies have shown that only 23-45% of patients use their CPAP or BiPAP machines ant that users average only 4-5 hours a night not the recommended 7 1/2-8 hours a night. There is a six-fold increase in heart attacks and strokes in patients with untreated sleep apnea. Apnea is also implicated in Alzheimer's, dementia, type 2 diabetes, ADHD, coronary artery disease and cancer. There is literally no part of our physiology or psychology that poor sleep will not negatively affect.
The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institute for Health (NIH) has declared that Sleep Apnea and snoring are TMJ disorders and that is why Dr Michael Gelb is the ideal doctor for New York patients with snoring and obstructive sleep apnea. The NHLBI paper " CARDIOVASCULAR AND SLEEP-RELATED CONSEQUENCES OF TEMPOROMANDIBULAR DISORDERS" details how TMJ disorders and sleep apnea are a major health concern for all Americans. There is a dichotomy in patients with abnormal jaw function. Women make up 80% of the patients who complain about TMJ disorders and have physical complaints including headaches, facial pain, migraines, sinus pain and pressure, fibromyalgia, and depression. Men are treated for 80% of the snoring, sleep apnea; gastric reflux but these are both faces of the same disorder. 80 % of Children with ADHD have sleep apnea and this apnea can also cause behavioral disorders. These are lifetime developmental problems and the symptoms represent the weakest point in the physiology of the patient, not a set of unique disorders. The trigeminal nerve, the fifth cranial nerve or the dentist's nerve is now thought to be the primary culprit for migraine headaches. It is now know that that it has major control over blood flow to the brain and is affected by the health of the relation of the teeth, the jaw joints and the musculature of the head and neck. The whole report is available at
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/meetings/workshops/tmj_wksp.pdf.
An article in Sleep and Health Journal, SUFFER NO MORE: DEALING WITH THE GREAT IMPOSTER is a must read for patients suffering TM Joint disorders, Migraines, Chronic Daily Headaches or other TM Disorders. It can be found at:
http://sleepandhealth.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=237&tid=22.
Oral appliances have been found to be more effective than surgery in treating sleep apnea. See the Sleep and Health Journal for more information at the following links.
http://sleepandhealth.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=55&tid=22
http://sleepandhealth.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=130&tid=22
http://sleepandhealth.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=280&tid=22
Dr Gelb and Dr Shapira recently attended the American Academy of CranioFacial Pain 24th Annual Clinical Symposium together in Indianapolis. Dr Joel Saper gave a lecture on Untractable Head and Face Pain: Practical Strategies, Dr Terrance Spahl gave a lecture on "The Trigeminovascular Reflex & Migraine" and Anita Isberg DDS, DMedSc gave an incredible update on unpublished new findings that are vitally important to all Physicians and Dentists. I HATE CPAP! LLC had a well received presence at the meeting.
Dr Ira L Shapira is the founder of I HATE CPAP LLC and is a Charter member of the Sleep Disorder Dental Society which became the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, a Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine, A Regent and Fellow of ICCMO, The international College of CranioMandibular Orthopedics and a representative of that organization to the TMD Alliance which represents the most important groups involved in treating TMJ disorders. He is a founding member of DOSA, The Dental Organization for Sleep Apnea. He is a former Assistant Professor at Rush Medical School where he did research in the 1980's on the relation of jaw position to female TMJ patients and male sleep apneics. He returned in the 1990's to treat sleep apnea utilizing Dental Sleep Medicine. He is proud to have been one of the first Sleep Apnea Dentists in the country. Dr Shapira is the Dental Editor of Sleep and Health Journal which can be found online at:
www.sleepandhealth.com. Dr Shapira can be contacted at
www.ihatecpap.com or
www.delanydentalcare.com or at
www.ihateheadaches.org.
Dr Shapira treats Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Snoring as well as TM Joint disorders in his Gurnee Dental office with his partner Dr Mark Amidei. He founded Delany Dental Care LTD in 1984. This year he founded Chicagoland Dental Sleep Medicine Associates and is opening offices in Skokie in association with American Sleep Medicine, in Schaumburg in association with Dr Alan Acierno, and in Bannockburn in association with Sleep and Behavioral Medicine and Dr Alex Golbin a sleep researcher, author of the first text on Sleep Psychiatry and Editor of Sleep and Health Journal. Dr Shapira expects several additional Dental Sleep Medicine offices to open in the next year across Chicagoland. Dr Shapira teaches courses to dentists from across the U.S. who come to his Gurnee office to learn Dental Sleep Medicine. Dr Golbin offers his Sleep and Behavioral Medicine sleep centers to help train these dentist who recieve continuing mentorship from Dr Shapira. Dr Richard Lin and Dr Kevin Ladseic have been to Dr Shapira's course and are looking foward to working with Chicagolant Dental Sleep Medicine Associates.
Dr Shapira hold several patents on the early minimally invasive removal of wisdom teeth, bone marrow and collection of Stem Cells that will one day change the practice of oral surgery. His devices can also be used for the minimally invasive collection of bone marrow from the hip, sternum or calvarium. He is currently having discussions with medical development companies.
About Sleep and Health Journal
Dr Ira L Shapira is an author and section editor fo Sleep and Health, President of I HATE CPAP LLC, President Dato-TECH, and has a Dental Practice with his partner Dr Mark Amidei
# # #
- alternative, alternatives, aop, apnea, appliance, cardiovascular, consequences, cpap, dental, dentist, dosa, hate, manhattan, medicine, new, nhlbi, nih, norad, obstructive, oral, orofaical, pain, sleep, snoring, somnomed, suad, tap, york
Read more Press Releases from Ira shapira:Other Press Release Headlines:- Barracuda Makes its Deadly Debut. Move Over Jaws and Jurassic Park, There's a New Killer in our Waters. Barracuda is a Book That You Will Not Put Down. Its Bone Chilling Suspense Will Hold You In its Grip Until The Explosive Conclusion.
- New York Kids Club Founder, Pam Wolf, Wins Stevie Award
- New York Kids Club Founder, Pam Wolf, Has Been Selected to Serve as an Expert Contributor to ABC's Hit Television Show, Super Nanny!
- What to Do if You Suspect Medical Malpractice
- Interfaith Clergy- Rabbis, Ministers and Officiants available for Weddings and Life-Cycle Events
- Outdated Email Lists Can Damage Your Business, Says Business Expert
- New MMA Clothing Lines and MMA Gear at Official Pro Sports
- BnBStar.com presents new featured Bed and Breakfast inns in Delaware, Oregon, Nevada, Oklahoma, Washington and other locations across the US
- Visit Museum Shops For Treasured Gifts This Holiday
- Showtime Arabia to air TV special about the Amman Stand up Comedy Festival
