Dentist Westborough Basketball Mouthguard Project 2017

Focus of Project Goal:

Is there an oral systemic component to changing a basketball players vertical leap and stamina and endurance (in the last half of the 4th quarter)?

      1. We can demonstrate between "pre" and "post" mouth device an improvement in strength, breathing, flexibility, and balance by whatever muscle recruitment and/or muscle repattterning ocurrs to this end.

      2. The question is, "once we've demonstrated point #1 as a baseline", will it also result "in specific to this project" a) more stamina and endurance in the last 5 minutes of the game when the athlete is most tired and b) increased vertical leaping ability of significance beyond the players current leaping ability after going through his basketball strength and conditioning programs related to jumping higher.

 

This information gathering is for a future basketball talk which currently has no basketball data components related to stamina/endurance and vertical enhancement.

 

It seems like basketball is the venue to look at it because they are running and jumping a lot during the game especially in the center and forward positions.

 

A big roadblock issue for this project will be if we can get some players from a team (but not necessarily all participants from a single team) to actually just to wear a mouthguard during the game considering they have the choice not too. On a positive note, watching the NBA , you are undoubtable seing athletes not required to wear mouthguards actually wearing them. Why would that be?

 

There is no question (and unfortunately for dentistry the numbers don't lie) that if given the choice in High School Basketball in Massachusetts which does not mandate the use of a mouthguards , we see mouthguard use is minimal at best. 

                                                           

Looking for high school basketball players to participate in this project!

 

The goal is to see if by changing the maxillo-mandubular jaw relationship of the athlete resulting in a change in his skeletal and muscle physiology along with his airway space to result in less fatigue in last 5 minutes of the final period and also in an increase in his vertical leap that he did not have before playing with either:

     a. his current mouthguard (which probably only 1% of high school basketball player use at best)

     or

     b.no mouthguard at all ( which probably 99% of high school basketball players do not use due to fact that it doesn't fit properly, it is bulky, you can't breathe properly with it in, it dislodges upon impact, and you chew it up til the mouthguard is so distorted it actually makes you play worse etc etc)

 

 

SEE VIDEOS UNDER TAB:

ORAL SYSTEMIC COMPONENT: MOUTHGUARDS-PERFORMACE? 

 

Then proceed with rest of page if still interested:

 

What does it involve to participate:

1. To fill out a health history.

2. If you are under 18 yo your parent must fill out your health history and sign in person at Dr Portnoy's office before you can participate.
3. You will go through a preliminary test to see if you would be a good candidate for this project.
4. Attend a 30-45 minute lecture about why and what we believe you will experience with respect to skeletal and physiological changes in your body that might occur.
5. You then decide if you want to proceed with the project. 
6. Have an oral examination of your teeth.
7. Have a dental impression taken of your upper teeth (or have your family dentist take an impression and mail it to me)
8. After mouth device is fabricated you will return for the equilibration.
9. Photographs of the mouth device positioned in your mouth as well as videos displaying exercises related to changes in muscle strength, breathing dynamics, flexibility, balance and finally what we have never shown before being specifically whether or not we can affect your ability to jump higher. 
10. You will leave with mouthguard, a case to store it and device to clean it, along with poster instructions for your room to remind you how to correctly use it.
10. You give Dr. Portnoy the right to show any of the above and photographs of you from the office as well as on the basketball court with and without the mouth device for lecture, demonstration and educational purposes only.
11. You will be asked to fill out a 1 page subjective evaluation form and return it after season is over.
12. You may opt out of the project at anytime:
         a. If the device hinders your play.
         b. If you just prefer to go back to play like the 99% of your opponents that do not wear mouthguards. Let me say there is nothing wrong with not wearing a mouthguard when it is not required (which is not the case in high school: hockey, lacrosse, field hockey, football).
         c. And you can also just return the mouth device within 25 days.
         d. If your coach or school does not want you to wear it. 
13. There are no financial cost to participate.
 
If you are intersted in more information or would like to participate you can call:
Dr Barry Portnoy
18 Lyman Street  Suite 204
Westborough, MA 01581
Office phone 508-366-1700 to leave a number to call you back preferably a cell phone to make it easier to communicate via texting.