Pure Power Mouthguard News

New technological marvel will score big points in New Jersey and New York

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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New mouthguard suits slugger

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.

The science of how a relaxed jaw can optimize an athlete’s performance

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.

By: Diana Palotas

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.