Here are a few pictures from the event.
I’ll post some more in the near future.
In the meantime, if you have any questions feel free to call or e-mail me.
Thanks
Dr. Mike

The PPM Group

The Set Up

The PPM's

The Training Facility

Amani Toomer of the New York Giants came to our office recently
to try out the Pure Power Mouthguard.

‘The Edge,’ the technological wonder that is making big news by enabling star athletes to perform at unprecedented levels, is now being offered by Dr. Mike Bixby, a renowned neuromuscular dentist from Little Silver, New Jersey, who is also licensed in the state of New York.

The revolutionary appliance, which was invented by a renowned Canadian dentist, is helping Milwaukee Bucks star shooting guard, Michael Redd, take his game to new heights. By holding his jaw in a position that allows his jaw and neck muscles to completely relax; The Edge is literally giving Redd an edge in strength, balance and flexibility.

“I’ve been using the mouth guard for about a month and a half now, and I noticed a big difference instantaneously,” says Redd. “It was incredible, and blew my mind away. The results speak for themselves.”

“The funny thing is that I tried to prove it [The Edge] wrong. However, I can’t find anything wrong with it… I can’t.”

Redd is currently training for the Beijing Olympics. To win the gold medal, the U.S. will be relying in part on Redd’s ability to shoot the basketball and score points. Redd feels The Edge has helped take his shooting game to a new level. “More explosion, more power, more range of motion in the shot. I can definitely feel a difference.”

Dr. Bixby, a specially trained neuromuscular dentist, says that years of research went into designing the mouth guard. “It begins with looking at how the body functions as a whole,” he says. “Over 90% of the population has an overbite, and one of the negative effects of an overbite is that it causes muscle tension. When the neck and jaw muscles are tense, the body can’t perform at its peak. Strength is lost and balance is diminished. So on the most basic level, the Edge allows the body to perform at its absolute peak, in a purely natural way.”

To achieve this kind of efficiency, athletes who are interested in using The Edge must be fitted by specially trained and licensed dentists, such as Dr. Bixby. Bixby says that the key to getting the perfect fit is the use of state-of-the-art equipment which monitors the condition of the jaw muscles so that a dentist can determine where the optimal bite position is.

“Once we know where the optimal bite position is, we can then fit the mouth guard,” he says. “So whenever they put the device in their mouth, it will hold their jaw in the perfect position, freeing up the rest of the body to perform at its best.”

As for Michael Redd’s take on The Edge and the upcoming Olympics: “Anything to help us win a gold medal, and to help me perform at the highest level I can perform at. I’ll definitely be using it.”

For Redd, playing in the Olympics is the pinnacle of his basketball career. “It’s the greatest achievement of any athlete. It’s a humbling honor to represent your country. To win the gold medal would probably be the best achievement of my career.”

“There are a lot of dentists throughout North America and around the world who are fitting athletes with The Edge,” says Bixby. “That number is growing at an exponential rate.”

The Edge is indeed taking off. It is part of a comprehensive mouth guard system, which includes the Pure Power Mouthguard, or PPM. The PPM protects the upper teeth, while The Edge, worn on the lower jaw, holds the jaw in optimal position. Currently, there are over 200 dentists in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Singapore, who offer the appliance to professional and amateur athletes. The list of world class athletes using The Edge is also growing.

There are currently over 200 professional athletes using The Edge, from MLB, the NBA, NFL, NHL, and UFC. Other star athletes who are raving about it include Manny Ramirez of the Boston Red Sox, and Josh Brown of the St. Louis Rams. This doesn’t include the list of over 2000 collegiate and amateur athletes who are embracing The Edge phenomenon.

The inventor of The Edge is Dr. Anil Makkar. Both Dr. Makkar and Dr. Bixby are alumni of the esteemed Las Vegas Institute (LVI) for Advanced Dentistry.

Dr. Bixby believes that The Edge will soon be a hit with athletes of all levels of ability.

“I would encourage anyone who is interested in improving their athletic ability to talk to us about taking a short and simple test for The Edge. We all have different goals when it comes to sports, but there isn’t anyone who wouldn’t like to have an overall increase in strength, balance, and range of motion. The Edge is a great, natural way to achieve these things.”

For New York inquiries, please call: 1-888-819-6335, and New Jersey call
1-(732) 889-1067.

For more information, please visit Dr. Bixby’s website:
www.purepoweredge-ppe.com

For more information:
_______________________________________________
Paul Fitzgerald (PhD, ’10, The University of Reading)
Director of Public Relations for the Pure Power Athletics Group
President and CEO of Salt & Pepper Media Inc.
Phone: 1-866-585-3111 (EXT. 4)
Email: fitzy@ppmmouthguard.com
Web: www.ppmmouthguard.com

Drs. John and Michael Bixby, dentists in Little Silver, New Jersey, are fitting athletes with a high-tech mouth guard that literally enables the body to perform at the next level.

It’s called The Edge, a technological wonder developed by a Canadian dentist. It is helping Boston Red Sox superstar, Manny Ramirez, reach baseball milestones. By holding his jaw in a position that allows his jaw and neck muscles to completely relax, The Edge is literally giving Ramirez an edge in strength, balance and flexibility.

“Incredible,” is how he describes it. “I pop this thing in my mouth before I go to the plate, and man do I feel a difference. Just like that, I feel stronger, and more relaxed. And when you’re feeling relaxed and in tune with your body, you can do some damage… I just love it.” Said Ramirez during a recent interview with prominent US news agencies including The Boston Globe, The Boston Herald and NBC News (Boston).

Drs. Bixby, are specially trained neuromuscular dentist who are also licensed in New York and New Jersey, says that years of research went into designing the mouth guard. “It begins with looking at how the body functions as a whole,” he says. “Over 90% of the population have a bite imbalance, and one of the negative effects of this imbalance is increased muscle tension. When the neck and jaw muscles are tense, the body can’t perform at its peak. Strength is lost and balance is diminished. So on the most basic level, what The Edge does is allow the body to perform at its absolute peak, in a purely natural way.”

To achieve this kind of efficiency, athletes who are interested in using The Edge must be fitted by specially trained and licensed dentists, such as Dr. Bixby. Bixby says that the key to getting the perfect fit is the use of state-of-the-art equipment which monitors the condition of the jaw muscles so that a dentist can determine where the optimal bite position is.

“Once we know where the optimal bite position is, we can then fit the mouth guard,” he says. “So whenever they put the device in their mouth, it will hold their jaw in the perfect position, freeing up the rest of the body to perform at it’s best.”

In the case of star slugger, Manny Ramirez, he was fitted for The Edge during spring training in Fort Myers. During a session that lasted roughly 45 minutes, a machine called the J5 myomonitor was used to induce his jaw muscles into a state of relaxation. Once his jaw could be opened into it’s most relaxed position, a mold was made.

“There are a lot of dentists throughout North America and around the world who are fitting athletes with The Edge,” says Bixby. “That number is growing at an exponential rate.”

The Edge is indeed taking off. It is part of a comprehensive mouth guard system, which includes the Pure Power Mouthguard, or PPM. The PPM protects the upper teeth, while The Edge, worn on the lower jaw, holds the jaw in optimal position. Currently, there are over 200 dentists in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Singapore, who offer the appliance to professional and amateur athletes. The list of world class athletes using The Edge is also growing.

The inventor of The Edge is Dr. Anil Makkar. Both Dr. Makkar and Dr. Bixby are alumni of the esteemed Las Vegas Institute (LVI) for Advanced Dentistry.

Another high-profile fan of the device is St. Louis Rams kicker, Josh Brown. Brown says that The Edge has allowed him to run significantly faster, which he attributes to making a number of tackles over the last season with the Seattle Seahawks. “Who thinks of a kicker making tackles?” he says. “But last season I made five or six, which is incredible for a kicker.”

Brown says that The Edge allows him to lift an additional 20 or 30 pounds in each exercise he does in the weight room.

There are currently over 150 professional athletes using The Edge, from MLB, the NBA, NFL, NHL, and UFC. This doesn’t include the list of over 1000 collegiate athletes who are embracing The Edge phenomenon.

Dr. Bixby believes that The Edge will soon be a hit with athletes of all levels of ability.

“I would encourage anyone who is interested in improving their athletic ability to talk to us about taking a short and simple test for The Edge. We all have different goals when it comes to sports, but there isn’t anyone who wouldn’t like to have an overall increase in strength, balance, and range of motion. The Edge is a great, natural way to achieve these things.”

For New York inquiries, please call: (888) 819-6335, and New Jersey call (732) 889-1067.For more information, please visit Dr. Bixby’s website: www.Purepoweredge-ppe.com

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By Michael Silverman
Red Sox Notebook – Boston Herald.com
Thursday, May 22, 2008

It’s not a tobacco pouch, a bag of sunflower seeds or a pack of bubble gum, but sitting in a “D”-shaped container in Manny Ramirez’ left back pocket is a little device that the Red Sox slugger has been popping into his mouth before at-bats this season.

It is a high-tech mouthpiece – a Pure Power Mouthguard, to be precise – that Ramirez uses to help relax his jaw, neck and head muscles as he swings his bat. The theory behind the device is, according to Dr. Steven Bader of Ultimate Aesthetics in Newton and a representative for its maker, that when the muscles of the head and neck are relaxed to the point where the lower jaw position can be measured, “you can create a bite that improves strength, balance and flexibility.”

Boston Red Sox left fielder Manny Ramirez adjusts
his mouth guard in the fifth inning last night.

By Karl Yu
Epoch Times Staff May 14, 2008

The greatest hockey player that ever lived, Wayne Gretzky, paraded around in a porous helmet – it’s a wonder he never suffered a concussion. And football used to be played with leather helmets in days gone by.

While the Riddells and CCMs of the world have helped advance protective headwear, a company based in Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada is hoping to do the same for mouth protection with the Pure Power Mouthguard (PPM).

We all know the classic mouthguard – a piece of plastic you drop into boiling water and bite on to conform to the shape of your jaw.

The PPM takes it one step further.

Developed by Dr. Anil Makkar and trainer Chuck Sproule using a special TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Neural Stimulation) machine, an athlete’s jaw is stimulated so that it is completely relaxed.

“TENS is like a mild electrical massage to the nerves that move the muscles of the face, shoulders, and neck,” explained Dr. Gary Lederman, a certified New York area doctor and part owner of the company that makes the mouthguard.

“The muscles become relaxed and refreshed, making the location of the jaw’s optimal position possible.”

With the jaw well positioned, the athlete is ready to be fitted by a certified dentist.

“A bite is taken using jaw tracking, and EMGs [electromyograms] measure muscle activity,” added Dr. Mike Bixby, who is also a part owner based in New York.

“This allows us in real-time to see where in space the jaw’s best position is. Using very accurate dental impressions [molds] and this bite you are ready to have the PPM made.”

According to PPM makers, having the facial muscles in complete relaxation does more than offer athletes peace of mind. It can improve posture and enhance upper body strength.

In fact, they say balance and strength can be increased upwards of 50 percent.

“Muscles hold our body upright,” explained Dr. Bixby.

“In order to stand we need a certain amount of tone in the muscles. If your body is out of balance, these muscles have to work harder to hold your body. Proper bite balance has a domino effect down the spine allowing muscles to work more efficiently. This doesn’t make you stronger. It allows you to use the strength you have more effectively,” added Dr. Bixby.

“Additionally, with optimal alignment, there is less tension to overcome. As a result, there is an improvement in range of motion, strength, and flexibility,” elaborated Dr. Lederman.

With the jaw relaxed and in alignment, posture perfect, and upper body muscles expending energy in the most efficient manner, the athlete can perform better and the mouthguard can help absorb the brunt of trauma to the jaw as well.

And that’s the primary job of a mouthguard after all, says Dr. Bixby.

“The guard itself is designed to protect your teeth in an impact,” he said.

“It is also designed to protect an impact in the jaw from traveling through the joint into the skull. Relaxed muscles are actually more resistant to injury. It has a better ability to flex rather than rip. The ideal combination is a relaxed muscle and material that protects the joint from impacts. The PPM does both.”

One of the proponents of the equipment is former Seattle Seahawks and current St. Louis Rams kicker Josh Brown.

Brown ranked eighth in the NFL in scoring, making 82 percent of his field goals, the longest being a 54-yarder last season.

“There is really something to having structural integrity and the PPM enhances that,” Brown said in a release.

“Ask any engineer, he isn’t going to build a building by just throwing up pipes and beams – you want the building to have the proper strength and integrity – it is the same thing with the PPM.”

“Did you ever notice how many players take out their guard after every play or chew on them?” asked Dr. Bixby.

“This is because they’re not comfortable. A PPM fits very well, so athletes don’t feel the need to play with them.”

The price of the PPM ranges from $1,600. and $2000.

Mover over steroids and HGH. A mouth guard may give you the edge you’re looking for.

Most kids who play contact sports must wear a mouth guard to protect their teeth. Could such an appliance be a performance enhancer as well?

Steve Smith of the Panthers thinks so. So does fellow teammate Jake DelHomme. They are two of the 150 professional and collegiate athletes trying out the new Pure Power Edge Mouth Guard. It was invented by a Canadian dentist and now fitted by Rochester’s Doctor Paul Sussman.

The Edge is based on this principle:

“Extend your arms out and I am going to try and push down as hard as I can. It doesn’t take that much effort,” Dr. Sussman said.

Then I put two cotton rolls into my mouth to bite down on and he tries again.

“I want you to resist as hard as you can,” said Dr. Susman. “It’s taking some of the stress out of your jaw. Your teeth are not coming together.

The science behind the mouth guard says it helps your jaw come forward and opens up your airway.

Jim Nonnemacher is having a new mouth guard made.

By using electrical stimulation to the muscles, they can see on the scans where Nonnemacher’s jaw muscles are in their most relaxed position. An unrelaxed jaw can lead to headaches or worn or broken teeth.

“It improves the muscle alignment,” Dr. Sussman said. “It takes the tension and the torque out of your jaw so your muscles are more harmonious and it opens up your airway.

Sussman says some athletes have seen a 25 percent improvement in their performance.

The Pure Power Edge Mouth Guard runs $800to $1,600 and it can only be found at specially trained dentists.

JASON MALLOY
The Truro Daily News

Dr. Anil Makkar, right, has found a friend in Manny Ramirez.
The Boston Red Sox outfielder is the biggest name
professional athlete to wear Makkar’s Pure Power Edge.

TRURO – One of the most feared hitters in professional baseball is sporting a new look with a Truro connection this spring.

Boston Red Sox slugger Manny Ramirez is the latest athlete to sign up for the Pure Power Edge, a piece of plastic which improves strength and balance by placing the jaw in the optimal position to enhance performance. Truro dentist Dr. Anil Makkar and partner fitness trainer Chuck Sproule developed the mouthpiece and mouthguard.

Makkar was in Fort Myers, Florida on Saturday to deliver the Edge to Red Sox players, who had tested the product three weeks earlier, when Ramirez asked to speak with Makkar in private.
“He says, ‘Doc, I’ve been getting crazy results with this mouthpiece,’” he said.

The 11-time all-star who receives upwards of 200 requests a month to endorse products even asked Makkar if he could be their spokesman.

“Every time he hits a ball he’s going to smile at the camera and point to it,” Makkar said Monday.
“You couldn’t ask for anything better.”

Makkar said it was unbelievable to receive that kind of endorsement.
“Manny said, ‘if you’re not using an appliance such as this you’re not playing to your fullest potential,’” the founder said.

Makkar has always believed in the product’s science despite critics scoffing at the idea. Now he has testimonials from professional athletes providing more credibility.
“I have heard from the best that it does work,” he said proudly.
“Pro athletes have proven to me that it does work.”

The Edge uses the same science as the mouthguard but is designed to only cover the bottom teeth and is for traditionally non-contact sports like baseball, golf and swimming.

Currently two universities, Rutgers in New Jersey and the University of Calgary, are conducting studies to test the product.

Makkar is also receiving interest from investors who want to do an initial public offering on the stock market south of the border.

Some potential investors believe the company can become as big as Nike and Reebok.

jmalloy@trurodaily.com

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Rutgers University athletes will be trying out a new mouth guard that safely reproduces some of the effects of steroids and the human growth hormone, said Dr. Michael Bixby, a Rutgers College alumnus.

He said players from the Rutgers football and basketball teams would likely test the product as part of an intense RU study that aims to determine the guard’s reported benefits, although Jason Baum, assistant athletic director for football media and public relations, said he was not aware of any such plans at press time.

The Pure Power Mouthguard, manufactured by Pure Power Athletics Group, uses bilateral electrical stimulation to relax face muscles, allowing the rest of the body to work more effectively, according to a press release from the Nova Scotia-based athletic products firm.

“We are trying to get the muscles in your face and in your jaw to be in the optimal position, so that when you are doing your sports, those muscles are in a good spot,” said Bixby. “When you have a misalignment there, it dominoes down your body through the spine.”

Ninety percent of people don’t align their jaws properly, according to the manufacturer’s Web site, which causes facial muscles to be “unhappy.” The company said there was a physical connection between these muscles and body posture, which in turn has an impact on athletic performance.

Many professional athletes were already using the mouth guard with significant results, said Bixby, including New Jersey Devils defenseman Colin White and Seattle Seahawks kicker Josh Brown.

“It really did help me this season,” Brown said in a press release. “I had five or six tackles which is incredible for a kicker.”

He said the mouth guard also allowed him to lift 20-30 lbs. more than he could otherwise.

Pure Power Athletics’ clients include 150 professional and collegiate athletes from the National Basketball Association, National Hockey League and National Collegiate Athletic Association, among others, according to the press release, although currently, no University players use the PPM.

The release also said 50 Major League Baseball players will be fitted for the guard next week, amidst a Congressional probe into alleged steroid use in the MLB.

Despite the mouth guard’s considerable benefits, Bixby said it doesn’t carry any of the health risks associated with steroids, so he didn’t think it offered players an unfair advantage.

“It’s just a training aid,” he said, “a very effective training aid…[and] if one person trains more, you have an advantage.”

The performance enhancer uses state-of-the-art technology according to the press release, but Bixby said neuromuscular dentistry was not a new field and the last 45 years had seen a number of similar inventions.

“Before, the appliances were very basic and arbitrary,” he said. “While people had some benefits, it wasn’t as fine-tuned.”

The mouth guard is still a new innovation however, and worldwide, less than 100 dentists are certified to install it. The low-end models cost around $800 while the professional versions of the appliance can be as much as $1,600.

Full Story from The Daily Targum

MarketWire News Releases
02/12/08

TURO, NOVA SCOTIA — (MARKET WIRE) — 02/12/08 –

Seattle Seahawks kicker Josh Brown has been keeping a big secret.

As the ongoing scourge of an illegal steroids storm continues to rage unabated in the world of professional sports, the former Nebraska Cornhusker recently admitted that he too has been enhancing his performance.

But Brown, who ranks third on the all-time Cornhusker scoring list cautioned that he hasn’t been using chemicals or drugs to greatly enhance his strength and balance.

Instead, he said during a recent exclusive interview from his Seattle home that he has been using a completely legal and natural mouth guard to give him his jaw dropping results on the field and in the weight room thanks to an appliance being offered by a network of neuromuscular dentists in the United States: Dr. Roger Roubal (Omaha); Dr. Doug Brossoit (Spokane); Dr. Mike Bixby (New Jersey); and Dr. Gary Lederman (New York).

“I’m a field goal kicker so at first I thought: why would I need a mouth guard,” said Brown. “But it really did help me this past season. I had five or six tackles which is incredible for a kicker. The mouth guard also helped me run faster because my body was in its optimum position.”

Brown started wearing the Pure Power Mouthguard (PPM) earlier last year and the rest is now Seahawks history as his game excelled helping his team to a NFC Conference semi-final berth against the Green Bay Packers.

PPM makers claim that the device increases strength and balance by up to 50 per cent and in the highly competitive world of pro sports this type of enhancement transforms into results on the field.

“When people don’t believe in the concept I just explain to them there has always been a science behind mouth guards and in the past Olympic weight lifters have used them,” said Brown. “There is really something to having structural integrity and the PPM enhances that. Ask any engineer he isn’t going to build a building by just throwing up pipes and beams – you want the building to have the proper strength and integrity – it is the same thing with the PPM: it gives you that structural integrity.”

Brown’s numbers this season seem to support his claims as he finished seventh in NFL scoring with 127 points and eighth in field goal accuracy going 28-for-34.

“The PPM actually made it easier getting up and out of bed in the morning,” said Brown. “As you know most pro football players usually feel sore after game days, but I wasn’t sore and didn’t have the aches or pains that normally go along with playing pro football.”

In one of his most memorable moments this season, Brown surprised a sell-out crowd at Q-West Field during Week 11 of the regular season, and even some of his teammates, when he crunched Bears kick return specialist Devon Hester with a bone crunching tackle to help lead the Seahawks to a 30-23 victory.

“I’m always prepared to make a tackle but being a kicker in the NFL: that rarely ever happens,” said Brown. “I felt like he (Hester) wasn’t really taking me into account…My whole body was able to take some relief during that game and the entire season because I had the PPM. The game just came a lot easier to me.”

The PPM was developed by Canadian Dalhousie University scientist Dr. Anil Makkar. After less than two years on the market, its popularity has started to snowball amongst many professional athletes.

Makkar’s invention is based on the basic principles of neuromuscular dentistry which maintains that 90 per cent of the population has an overbite and can attribute much of their back, neck and joint pain to a subsequent out-of-line spinal column.

“Right now the company is still in its infancy and we are still trying to go out and prove to people that this does work.”

John Stenger a Notre Dame scientist was the first to apply neuromuscular science to the world of athletics when he helped members of the 1963 Fighting Irish football team overcome serious back and neck problems with an oral apparatus he developed over a five year period.

But Makkar’s adaptation thrusts Stenger’s discovery light years forward, using sophisticated neuromuscular machinery and computers to create the perfect mouth guard which puts each individual’s jaw in the most comfortable and ideal position to allow the rest of the body to do the work it was designed for.

“We have athletes who use our products and have wonderful stories to tell,” said Makkar. “We also have a lot of athletes using the product who don’t want to talk about it because it is their secret weapon.”

All is all, users include over 150 professional athletes in North America covering all four major sports leagues – NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL. There are also others singing the praises of the mouth guard.

“In the National Hockey League, the PPM is also catching on with marquee players,” said Bixby.

All doctors are well aware of the negativity surrounding professional sports and the illegal drugs and envision the PPM as a completely safe and legal alternative.

“If you want to be the best you can be this is a legal and healthy way to achieve that goal, the PPM optimizes your talent and abilities,” said Roubal.

Brown concurs and says he wishes he had access to this technology back in his high school football days in Oklahoma and later during his collegiate career with the Cornhuskers.

“When I was weight training in my formative years, it really would have made a big difference in how my early career numbers turned out,” said Brown.

This is coming from the man who set a NCAA record in his sophomore season when he connected on all nine extra point attempts during the Alamo Bowl.

Brown says the PPM allows him to lift an extra 20 or 30 lbs for each exercise in the weight room and also says the device improves oxygen flow to the lungs by opening up the airway.

Meanwhile, back in the post Mitchell report world of Major League Baseball, Makkar says that the Toronto Blue Jays, Detroit Tigers, Seattle Mariners and Oakland Athletics will have some of their players fitted for the device when they take to the field later this month during Spring Training which all the dentists will be involved in.

The PPM doesn’t come cheap though, starting low end models range from $800.00 while high end professional PPM appliances usually cost in the neighborhood of $1600.00.

“The reason I got involved with this product is because I know it will introduce the public to a completely new concept and change their lives,” said Brossoit.

Lederman added, “We want to make athletes run faster, jump higher and lift more weight but this can also be life changing and life saving – it is such a powerful invention.”

The doctors admit that not too many have warmed up to the advantages of the PPM but thinks this resistance will change as athletes like Brown sing its praises.

The device can also be used for most sports from weight lifting to basketball, baseball, tennis, soccer, hockey and football and the doctors see one of the biggest potential markets for the PPM in the area of golf.

Brown concurs stating that he is itching to try the device out when he hits the links this spring

I’m definitely curious to see how it helps my golf game too. Just to see how the improved focus and generation of power helps out in that department will be interesting,” Brown concluded.

Contacts:

Pure Power Athletics Inc.
Paul Fitzgerald
Director of Public Relations
(902) 877-4600
Email: Paul.fitzgerald@ns.sympatico.ca
Website: www.ppmmouthguard.com

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.

JAMES CHRISTIE
From Friday’s Globe and Mail
June 7, 2007 at 10:03 PM EDT

By Mary Ellen MacIntyre
The Halifax Herald Limited
January 3rd, 2007

TRURO – The curious mind of Dr. Anil Makkar has led him to create a mouthguard that could revolutionize the world of highly competitive sports.

The Truro neuromuscular dentist noted that his patients had improved strength and balance after being fitted with orthotic mouth devices.

That got him wondering if similar devices could affect the performance of elite athletes.

“It’s really very simple – if your lower jaw is in the optimal position, it affects your strength, balance and endurance,” said Dr. Makkar, co-founder of Pure Power Mouthguard.

And a first meeting with NHL trainers in New York in November has led to more sessions coming up with all 30 NHL trainers in June.

Patients he treated in his practice to alleviate symptoms like headaches and facial and neck pain were often thrilled to experience improved strength and balance after they were fitted with an orthotic appliance.

Since it has been estimated 90 per cent of people have some problem with their bite – the way in which the teeth meet – or the lower jaw, Dr. Makkar figured athletes could benefit.

“The greatest athlete in the world, Michael Jordan, what did he do when he was about to make a basket?

“He stuck his tongue out between his teeth, and, whether he was aware of it or not, I believe he stuck his tongue out because that placed his jaw in the best position – it gave him that extra strength,” said Dr. Makkar.

“I began to think about athletes who wear mouthguards to protect their teeth and I wanted to test my theory.”

Enter Chuck Sproule, a provincial heavyweight bodybuilding champion, jiu-jitsu instructor, personal trainer and, eventually, Dr. Makkar’s partner in the new business.

“Most athletes will tell you mouthguards hinder performance – they’re cumbersome and they just don’t feel right in the mouth and some athletes don’t even wear them,” Mr. Sproule said.

“In many sports you’re taking a big risk not wearing a mouthguard because not only do they protect the teeth but they help to prevent concussion, which can end the career of an athlete.”

Mr. Sproule became the first test subject.

In May, Dr. Makkar performed extensive computerized tracking tests on Mr. Sproule to find the exact position where the lower jaw would be the most comfortable. The mouthguard was then made out of special material that has flexibility and shock absorbency.

“I was shocked at the immediate strength improvement,” said Mr. 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 10 more – it was instantaneous,” he said.

Mr. Sproule has worked within the sports and fitness industry for more than 20 years. He was quick to recognize the implications.

“A one per cent improvement could mean an Olympic medal for some athletes,” he said.

“Athletes are always looking for an edge and this is performance enhancement without the drugs – it improves strength, balance and endurance and that’s quite an edge.”

Dr. Makkar and Mr. Sproule gathered together four local athletes to discuss the benefits of the device at the Victoria Dental Clinic on Sunday morning.

A golfer, a gymnastics coach, a curler and a personal trainer who was recently featured in a men’s fitness magazine in the United Kingdom all paid testimony to the device.

In the few short months since the partners started to work on the Pure Power Mouthguard, they have made great strides.

The two are enthusiastic about the June meeting with NHL trainers.

“We believe it will benefit not just athletes who wear mouthguards in high-impact sports like hockey, football or martial arts but any athlete because it improves balance and strength,” said Mr. Sproule.

“Our aim is to become the official mouthguard of the sports world,” Mr. Sproule added, with a broad smile.

(mmacintyre@herald.ca)