May 14, 2008

Pure Power Mouthguard can also help improve strength, balance, agility and endurance, say creator and athletes

By Eric Lewis
Times & Transcript Staff

While steroid and human growth hormone scandals have been rocking the sports world, some athletes have turned toward a new product that is neither harmful nor illegal to give them an extra boost of strength, endurance, speed and agility -- a mouthguard.

ContributedThe Pure Power Mouthguard (PPM) was developed by a Truro, N.S.-based neuromuscular dentist. The simple device used to protect athlete's teeth and gums from damage in full-contact sports can apparently do much more than meets the eye -- er, mouth. Or at least, one type of mouthguard can anyway.

The Pure Power Mouthguard (PPM) was developed by a Truro, N.S.-based neuromuscular dentist, Dr. Anil Makkar. Makkar stumbled across the athletic advantages of his device purely by chance, but he says there are 40 years of science backing up the product.

In 2006, Makkar was treating several patients with temporomandibular joint syndrome (TMJ), a syndrome that results in symptoms such as headaches, vertigo and neck pain. To treat this, he developed a bite plate for his patients that set their jaws at ease, taking the pressure off muscles and joints in the head and neck.

In addition to the pain relief, they got a little more than expected.

Makkar describes a lobster fisherman who he treated for TMJ. With the new orthotic mouth device, not only did the fisherman's headaches disappear, but he also found throwing lobster traps in the water much easier than it had been. He attributed the effect to the mouth piece.

It seems a curious side-effect of the device is that it improves one's balance, strength, agility and endurance. After treating several patients who noted improvements of their own, Makkar began to see the possibilities.

In May 2006 the dentist began wondering if his device might yield an advantage for athletes. He worked the device into a mouthguard so it would also serve as a source of protection for athletes,

Chuck Sproule, a Nova Scotia heavyweight bodybuilding champion, jiu-jitsu instructor and personal trainer began working with Makkar on the product.

Sproule found he was able to lift more weight and do more in the gym than usual when wearing the mouthpiece. For eight months, Makkar and Sproule tested the device and gave some out to local sports teams to try.

"The reason that it works," the dentist says, "is 90 per cent of the population out there has what we refer to as TMJ issues. And when you have those kind of issues, the facial muscles are working overtime to keep that lower jaw in a place where it doesn't want to be. Once you've found that position that relaxes those upper facial muscles, it allows you to use your upper and lower body muscles for strength, endurance, balance and range of motion."

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