Pure Power Mouthguard: Fact or Hype?

A new fad is sweeping professional sports: the Pure Power Mouthguard. The mouth guard is the outgrowth of a branch of dentistry known as neuromuscular dentistry. Neuromuscular dentistry focuses on a particular portion of the anatomy, the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). The TMJ is the joint where the jaw meets the skull, and, to hear the dentists tell, is the possible center of many complicated problems that can range throughout the body. They say that because the TMJ is a complicated intersection of muscles, nerves, tendons, and other soft tissues, problems located there can have far-ranging symptoms, including:

· Facial pain

· Headaches with migraine intensity

· Spine misalignment

· Pinched nerves leading to tingling in the extremities

· Shoulder, back, or neck pain

And, they say, as many as 30 % of the population suffers from problems in the TMJ, known as temporomandibular joint disorder, TMD.

The Claims

The Pure Power Mouth guard's history began with a dentist who noticed that some of his patients, recreational golfers, reported increased performance following treatment for TMD. Because TMD can affect the position of the spine and can lead to muscle pain and stiffness, treatment of the condition can reverse those conditions, leading to an improvement over people's performance when they are suffering from TMD. Investigating the claims, the dentist, Anil Makkar, developed the Pure Power Mouthguard. Since most athletes wear mouth pieces anyway to protect their teeth, the transition would not be a hard one, and he eventually got amateur and professional athletes to try the new mouthpiece, and they reported improved performance.

The claims of improved performance are all over the website of the manufacturer and some dentists who supply the mouth guard. They tout a number of high-profile clients, including Manny Ramirez of the Boston Red Sox, Josh Brown of the Seattle Seahawks, boxer Stevie Johnston, and kickboxer Mickey Marshall, in addition to weightlifters, bicyclists, hockey players, and others.

The Proof

Frankly, there is no proof. To date, no published independent study has verified the positive effects of the Pure Power Mouthguard. There is only the, admittedly sizeable, body of anecdotal evidence. However, the backers of the Pure Power Mouthguard have claimed that a study is forthcoming in July. They claim that the study was performed by Tufts University, with associated support from Harvard. They are also out in force, critiquing blogs that even imply that their product is not effective. They may even comment on this piece.

On the other hand, there is proof that similar appliances, also touted with similar claims, show no difference from placebos. At least three studies over the past 25 years have cast doubt on the effectiveness of orthotic appliances as performance enhancers.

What can be said about the claims of increased performance? Athletes are a notoriously superstitious demographic, and many of them do outrageous things that they claim improve their performance. Any minute edge, including a psychological edge, can be worth the investment of time and money for a serious athlete, and for those athletes suffering from TMD, the relief of negative symptoms is probably no small improvement.

If you are a high school or college athlete looking to go pro, the up to $2000 cost might be worth it, but most recreational athletes would be better off skipping it.