Looking to Improve Your Game? The Edge You Need May Be In Your MouthGuard
If you’ve ever watched professional sports on TV, you’ve probably noticed athletes from a variety of different sports wearing mouth guards. But while mouthguards make sense in rougher sports like hockey, football, and boxing, did you know that athletes from every genre of sport can utilize the benefits of mouthguards? One such mouth guard- the Pure Power Mouthguard, is creating a lot of buzz in both the athletic and dental communities. We spoke to Dr. Gary Lederman of Bellmore, NY about this innovative technology.
You may be wondering why someone like a golfer or a tennis player would need a mouthguard. After all, the odds of them losing teeth while playing is pretty low. But mouth guards don’t just protect your teeth from external damage- they are also used to reduce the pressure put on teeth from clenching teeth during strenuous activities, like hitting a ball, lifting weights, or using any physical force. The Pure Power Mouthguard not only reduces stress on teeth due to grinding, but it can also boost athletic performance, too. The PPM uses neuromuscular dentistry to employ the principle that when an athlete clenches his or her teeth together, the space where the lower jaw meets the upper jaw, (called the "condylar space") closes- causing the athlete to produce cortisol and lactic acid, which causes them to lose strength.
But this "new" technology isn’t really new- it’s actually based on a theory that’s been around for thousands of years. The use of mouthguard-type devices dates all the way back to the ancient Greeks, who were said to bite down on leather straps to enhance performance!
Bellmore, NY Dentist Dr. Gary Lederman is currently the only dentist in the Greater New York offering his patients the Pure Power Mouthguard. We spoke with him about the benefits of the device. "The Pure Power Mouthguard has been proven to help athletic performance in golf, hockey, basketball, football and other sports that require balance and strength for increased performance. My own patients have reported immediate improvement in these areas." Says Dr. Lederman. And while the device isn’t cheap (it can range anywhere from $500 to $2500, depending on which device you get) Dr. Lederman says it’s well worth the investment. "The Pure Power Mouthguard is not just one of those awkward, uncomfortable, ‘boil and bite’ mouth guards that you buy at the pharmacy. The PPM can take up to three hours to fit because we take precise computer measurements for an optimum fit. This means that you can not only expect optimum performance results and tooth protection- but those precise measurements ensure complete comfort while wearing the PPM, too."
