Little Silver Dentist May Have Solution For Athletes Seeking That “Edge”

By Ryan Fennell
Two River Times, Dec 6 2007

LITTLE SILVER – In the minds of sports fans around the country the phrase “performance enhancing” has become synonymous with cheating due to the recent allegations (and admissions) of widespread steroid use in professional sports. The phrase conjures up an array of disheartening images of our nation’s athletes that were once admired for their achievements.

One example is the once mythical Mark McGuire appearing feeble in his attempt to side-step questions about steroid use before a Congressional hearing in March of 05’. At that same hearing Raphael Palmeiro adamantly stated, “I have never used steroids, Period,” only to test positive the following season. There is also disgraced Olympic star Marion Jones’ tearful admission of doping outside a U.S. District Court.

Most recently, there is last week’s release of the much anticipated Mitchell Report, a twenty month independent investigation into Major League Baseball’s steroid problem led by former senator George Mitchell, that released over 80 players’ names that are allegedly linked to steroids, including the most notable newcomers to the steroids table, Roger Clemens and Andy Pettite.

In all competitive arenas, not just in the world of sports, individuals are constantly looking for that “edge” that will elevate their performance be it to get a promotion, a raise or hit a homerun. Unfortunately for the athletes of the past two decades the solution has been to take “performance-enhancing drugs” to achieve that goal. Now that the steroid epidemic has come to the forefront athletes will certainly be looking to gain that “edge” from other sources.

Dr. Michael Bixby, based out of Little Silver, may have a highly effective alternative in what some professional football players from the Carolina Panthers are dubbing “The Magic Mouthguard”. This cutting-edge device is officially known as the Pure Power Mouthguard or PPM. A Nova Scotia dentist named Anil Makkar developed it along with Chuck Sproule, a heavyweight bodybuilding champion who was the first test subject. There has been a link between a relaxed temporo-mnandibular joint and improved sports performance for over thirty years. Makkar has combined that research with the latest computerized technology to find the optimum position of an individual athlete’s jaw. That technology is known as a trans-cutaneous electrical neural stimulation (TE.N.S.) machine.

Makkar’s theory is that if an athlete’s lower jaw is in a relaxed position, slightly down and forward, it releases tension in the shoulders, neck, and face. With an unbalanced bite, the tension created in the jaw and face leads to tension in the neck and shoulders creating poor posture and adding up to 30 pounds of extra pressure on the upper body. The proper jaw position also opens up an individual’s airways allowing more oxygen to reach the muscles.

Makkar says that some athletes do this naturally and cites Michael Jordan as a natural example of a relaxed jaw. “Michael Jordan stuck his tongue out as he was driving to the basket. By sticking his tongue out, he was putting his jaw in that relaxed position. It probably wasn’t done consciously. It was something he just started doing and it worked for him.”

“The trick is to find the best position,” Makkar said. “Every person has a different baseline, like a jaw fingerprint. We have to find the position that gives them the most balance and endurance that they can use for their game.”

Makkar used the TE.N.S. machine to find the position of Sproule’s jaw that would be most comfortable and was then fitted with a special material that is flexible and shock absorbent. “I was shocked at the immediate strength improvement,” said Sproule. “It almost seemed like a trick.” “Where I would do maybe five weight repetitions without it, if I put in the Mouthguard, I could do maybe eight or ten more — it was instantaneous,” he said. Sproule added, “Athletes are always looking for an edge and this is performance enhancement without the drugs — it improves strength, balance and endurance and that is quite an edge.”

According to Dr. Bixby there are only approximately 90 doctors that are capable of performing the procedure. Bixby was in on the ground floor being one of eight that experimented with the PPM in its beginning stages. “We discovered that athletes are limited to their ultimate potential clue to an improper physical alignment of the jaw, and varying degrees of residual muscular tension,” Bixby says. “PPM simply removes these limitations experienced by many athletes as it aligns the jaw in an ideal position in relation to the rest of the body, and allows athletes to run faster, jump higher, hit harder and lift more — all naturally without the use and dangers associated with anabolic steroids.”

Bixby points out that the PPM does not make the athlete stronger but makes the athlete better able to use the strength they already have. Athletes to protect the teeth and help to prevent concussions generally use mouth guards. However, many athletes find commonly used mouth guards such as the boil-and-bite variety are cumbersome and tend to decrease performance because they are frequently distracted by trying to keep the guard in place and it takes away from concentrating on the game. Therefore mans’ athletes abandon the use of mouth guards entirely.

Paige Armstrong, a recent graduate of Rumson-Fair Haven and member of the girls’ basketball team who now plays for the Stevens Institute Ducks, has subscribed to Makkar’s theory and was recently fitted for a PPM by Dr. Bixby. According to Armstrong she experienced an immediate difference. “I found that I have more energy and have been noticing a difference in my balance, she said. I feel stronger underneath the basket and I feel a real difference in my shot. I feel like I’m able to breathe better. I also noticed I haven’t felt sore (after games and practices) at all so far.”

The PPM can be fitted for all ages 14 and up and can also be used for therapeutic reasons, not just sports. A youth model is designed for ages 14-17 and there is mid-range model for ages 17 and older as well as a pro-level model that is designed for professional competition. Prices range depending on the specific model, both recreational and therapeutic. “The PPM is a product that will be widely popular here in New Jersey,” said Bixby. “New Jersey is home to a large array of sports teams — professional and amateur — and we are thrilled to provide an appliance that will enhance an athlete’s performance.”

The benefits associated with the PPM are nearly identical to those of steroids such as feeling stronger, having more stamina, and quick recovery time. The PPM is a viable “performance enhancing” alternative to steroids that gives an athlete that “edge” the use of steroids has provided during this dark age of professional sports.

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