| | | | | Following this high-profile use, the American Dental |
| The claims of the manufacturers of the Pure Power | | | | Association (ADA) commissioned a scientific study of |
| Mouthguard and Pure Power Edge (PPM/PPE) are | | | | the mouthguard involving Louisville university football |
| extraordinary. They claim that the orthotic increases | | | | players and found no evidence that the mouthguard |
| strength, balance, and performance among athletes. | | | | improved strength. Following this study, all hype |
| They claim their sports guard can help athletes in all | | | | surrounding the MORA vanished. |
| sports, including those that do not normally utilize a | | | | |
| sports guard. Sports where they believe the PPM | | | | The Difference? |
| PPE may help include: | | | | In the 1990s, neuromuscular dentists, who specialize |
| · Baseball | | | | in treatment of disorders of the hard and soft tissue |
| · Basketball | | | | of the jaw related to malocclusion, began to notice |
| · Bicycling | | | | that their treatment seemed to have an unexpected |
| · Running, including cross country, track, and | | | | side effect. Patients undergoing neuromuscular dental |
| marathons | | | | treatment seemed to be experiencing positive |
| · Football | | | | effects on their golf games. One dentist, Dr. Anil |
| · Golf | | | | Makkar, pursued the lead and produced the PPM/PPE, |
| · Skiing | | | | designed to give athletes optimal bite position during |
| · Skateboarding and snowboarding | | | | sporting activities. Following demonstrations with a |
| · Weight training | | | | number of amateur and semi-pro athletes, Dr. Makkar |
| · Water polo | | | | and several disciples targeted professional athletes. |
| In other words, they claim that athletes in all sports. | | | | As a result, the quarterback of the CFL team the |
| They have also promised that their claims would be | | | | Toronto Argonauts, the kicker for the St. Louis |
| backed up by a major university study, possibly | | | | Rams, and, most notably, Boston Red Sox outfielder |
| sponsored by Tufts University with the participation | | | | Manny Ramirez uses one. All these athletes swear by |
| of Harvard University. | | | | the results. |
| | | | Is there a difference between the PPM/PPE and the |
| The Theory | | | | MORA? According to proponents, the MORA was a |
| The theory behind PPM/PPE is that malocclusion, or | | | | manually-positioned appliance that involved a great |
| an improperly aligned bite, can have secondary | | | | deal of guesswork in its application. In contrast, the |
| effects on muscles and nerves of the face and neck, | | | | PPM/PPE is supposedly a scientifically-formulated |
| which in turn can affect vertebral position, leading to | | | | device. Using instruments designed to give a |
| back pain and functional problems with the back. To | | | | quantifiable measurement of occlusion, PPM/PPE |
| some extent, this has been verified in clinical studies, | | | | advocates say they can actually give real benefits to |
| with studies showing that treatment for | | | | athletes who use the device during competition. |
| temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD), a | | | | |
| neuromuscular condition of the jaw, increases the | | | | The Science? |
| length of chiropractic adjustments of the atlas | | | | So have the claims of PPM/PPE advocates been |
| vertebra, which in turn has been shown to lead to | | | | borne out through scientific studies? Despite Dr. |
| significant reductions in high blood pressure. | | | | Makkar's promotion of a double-blind |
| The theory is that any effect on the position of the | | | | placebo-controlled clinical study to be published in May |
| spine and the muscles of the neck and upper torso | | | | of this year, no such study has been published. On |
| could lead to reductions in performance, especially in | | | | other fronts, the news for the possible benefits of |
| any task that depends on upper body strength or | | | | occlusion mouthpieces is mixed. |
| functions on areas directly impacted by the position | | | | Researchers at the Gelb Craniomandibular Pain Center |
| of the jaw, such as the inner ear, where the | | | | at Tufts University called the studies that through |
| majority of our balance functions are regulated. In | | | | doubt on the effectiveness of the MORA "flawed," |
| addition, poor bite position can lead to obstruction of | | | | and claimed that new studies should be designed |
| the airways, reducing oxygen supply during periods of | | | | differently to be more effective at accurately |
| high demand. So, according to theory, athletes who | | | | evaluating the results of jaw posture appliances like |
| have a bad bite position can experience improved | | | | the MORA and the PPM/PPE. On the other hand, a |
| better strength, balance, and stamina. Since some | | | | recent study of the golf swing six professional |
| estimates say that as many as 90 % of Americans | | | | golfers with and without a MORA showed no |
| suffer from malocclusion, this means that virtually | | | | difference when the golfers were or were not using |
| every athlete will experience improved performance | | | | the appliances. |
| from some form of dental orthotic. | | | | |
| | | | The Question |
| The History | | | | So, the question remains: does the PPM/PPE improve |
| Dentists first proposed that malocclusion could affect | | | | performance of athletes? One hopes the recent |
| athletic performance during the 1970s. Following | | | | study might be able to provide a definitive answer, |
| revelations like the advent of Gatorade during the | | | | but it is unlikely to completely close the issue. If the |
| late 1960s, sports medicine was making a real impact | | | | study is favorable to the PPM/PPE, there is likely to |
| on giving teams a competitive edge over their | | | | be charges that the design of the study allowed |
| opponents, and everyone was on the lookout for | | | | researchers connected with PPM/PPE to cherry-pick |
| the next big thing. In response to this, a number of | | | | their data. If the study is unfavorable, it is likely that |
| innovations were tried, including the mandibular | | | | dentists who have invested significant amounts of |
| orthopedic repositioning appliance (MORA). The | | | | money into the device will seek another study to |
| MORA jumped to prominence when it was used by | | | | better measure the results they claim. But no matter |
| the U.S. bobsled and luge teams during the Olympic | | | | what, the issue cannot be pushed until the study is |
| Winter Games at Lake Placid, New York in 1980. | | | | published. |