My name is Barry Portnoy
I am a Dentist from Westborough MA
I am currently studying how a Mouthguard can be used to Improve an Athlete's Performance
On-the-Field On-the-Court On-the-Ice
to Enhance GAME TIME EXECUTION
NOTE:
There are 5 million dental injuries per year. 13-39% are oral-facial.
80-90% involve the upper 4 front teeth
Go on Internet look up:
Reference: Mouthguard Mysteries: Can Wearing One Really Improve Performance; LER (Lower Extemity Review); Nov 2016
Reference: Can wearing a mouthguard increase your performance; Becca Borawski Jenke
Reference: The Effects Of Mouthguards On The Athletic Ability Of Professional Golfers; Ahran Poe, Ra-Kyung Yoo, Kwantae Noh, Kung-Rock Keon; Dental Traumatology; 2013; Feb; 29(1) 47-51
Reference: Physioligic Effects of Wearing Athletic Mouthpieces While Performing Various Exercises, Military Medicine, Michael F Zuppan, USAFA, BSC (Ret), Dyana L Bullinger, BS, MS, Brenda Buffington EdD, Caroline Koch, BS, Samantha Parker, BS, Steve Fragleasso, MS, Taylor Fogg, Shay Rasmussen-Woerner, BS, Volume 183, Issue Suppl_1, March-April 2018, Pages 510-515
I have obtained data comparing how playing with a mouthguard device compares to not wearing one
I am planning on giving a future lecture and would like to include data which I don't have as yet.
If you are still interested in learning more - continue
The Basic Idea is to Change the Skeletal and Muscular Physiology and their Airway Dynamics to Improve their Performance
We can only improve an athlete's performance if he/she has dysfunction in his/her Head and Neck and Occlusion that we can see as a result of Body Asymmetry
If that is the case than we can performance enhance the sports athlete
Where do we start this process
1. We know what it looks like when your posture is out of wack and you have dysfunction in your neck and occlsion (your "bite")
2. If you stand in front of the athlete, he/she is a good candidate for this project if you will notice at least 2 of the following:
For a Right Handed Dominant Athlete
1. Head is Not Centered over Spine
Head is Tilted to the Left and Forward
2. Has a Rounding of Shoulders
3. Right Shoulder is Lower than Left
4. Right Hip is Higher than Left Hip
5. Right Knee is Higher than Left Knee
6. Her Rib Cage is Not Symmetrical (This decreases lung capacity and negatively affects Stamina. A decreased lung capacity also decrease oxygen to the brain. This decreases an athltete's ability to concentration and focus under stress.)
7. This Body Asymmetry, Vertebral Mal-Aligment Hinders Athletic Performance
8. FHP or Forward Head Posture
we believe is a Major Issue
9. Is there any Dental Midline Asymmetry
10. Is there any TMJ Dysfunction
11. A Great Athlete Compensates for this by Adaptive Mechanisms which Kicks in and without Knowing to Compensate the Neck starts coming Forward. Again, we are back to the FHP Forward Head Posture Issues
12. WE TEST INITIALLY TO SEE IF WE CAN CHANGE "THE BITE" OF THE ATHLETE in .25 mm INCREMENTS TO SEE IF SHE WILL RESPOND POSTIVELY TO ONE OF OUR DOWELS. THIS WILL TELL US IF WE CAN CHANGE HIS/HER SKELETAL PHYSIOLOGY
MUSCLE PHYSIOLOGY AND AIRWAY DYNAMICS TO UTILIZE HIS/HER BODY ENERGY MORE EFFICIENTLY. THIS IS LIKE A "WOOOH" FACTOR. YOU ARE DEFINITELY NOT STRONGER THAN YOU WERE JUST 10 SECONDS AGO. WE ARE JUST TRYING TO NAKE YOU MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND.
13. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT POINT:
a. I CAN NOT I REPEAT I CAN NOT MAKE YOU ANY STRONGER THAN YOU ACTUALLY ARE BECAUSE OF ALL YOUR GAME TIME PREPARATION WRT STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING AND PRACTICE THAN YOU ACTUALLY ARE
b. ALL I AM DOING IS FINDING A FIXED JAW POSITION SO THAT THE BODY STRENGTH YOU ALREADY HAVE CAN BE DISTRIBUTED TO YOUR CORE MUSCLES MORE EFFICIENTLY. as a RESULT OF VERTEBRAL RE-ALIGNMENT for BETTER MUSCLE RECRUITMENT TO ALLOW YOU TO BE MECHANICALLY MORE EFFICIENT AND HAVE MORE STAMINA AND ENDURANCE DURING THE LAST 10 MINUTES OF THE GAMES WHEN MOST GAMES ARE WON AND LOST
HOW DOES THIS MOUTHGUARD PROJECT HYPOTHOSIS WORK:
IF AN ATHLETE HAS
CRANIO-MANDIBULAR-CERVICAL
(HEAD-NECK-C SPINE)
(OCCIPUT-C1-C2)
ISSUES (AS A RESULT OF WHEN THE BITE IS INHIBITING THE MANAGEMENT OF THE HEAD & NECK POSITION)
BY USING A MOUTHGUARD TO MANAGE OCCIPUT TO CERVICAL VERTEBRAL POSITION CAN WE ALTER SKELETAL AND MUSCULAR PHYSIOLOGY AND AIRWAY DYNAMICS TO GIVE THE ATHLETE
BETTER VERTEBRAL ALIGNMENT
BETTER MUSCLE RECRUITMENT
BETTER OXYGEN / CARBON DIOXIDE
EXCHANGE
AND AS A RESULT OF THAT
CAN WE IMPROVE THE ATHLETES
STRENGTH
FLEXIBILITY
BALANCE
RANGE OF MOTION
STAMINA AND ENDURANCE
DURING GAME TIME EXECUTION
We use a combination of a MORA TMJ Appliance Theory and a PRI MOOO MANDIBULAR OCCIPITAL OCCLUSAL ORTHODIC Splint Appliance Neutral Theory Positioning Incorprated into a Type III Mouthpiece taking into consideration:
Your Age: It works best we find if you are at least 16 1/2 years old
Dental Occlusion
TMJ
Body Asymmetry - Head,Shoulder, Hip &Pelvis Position
Vertebral Alignment - Postural Chain, OA and AA Space
Muscle Recruitment - Muscles Attach To Bones
Cranio-Mandibular-Cervical Relationship as it relates to Posterior Rotation of the Cranium and Forward Head Posture
FINALLY: SEE THESE VIDEOS
a. REMEMBER THE MOUTHGUARD IS THE ONLY
VARIABLE IN EACH EXERCISE
b. THE MOUTHGUARD IS WHAT IS EFFECTING THE
ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY
How important is Skeletal Alignment as it affects the Muscle Physiology of an athlete to help her perform better?
How Important is Flexibiltiy to an Athlete?
How Important is BETTER Vertebral Alignment to an Athlete?
WATCH BELOW and SEE WHY it can be important.
A Mouthguard Is the Only Variable In Changing Her Skeletal and Muscle Physiology!
How Important Is Strength To An Athlete?
Is A Stronger Athlete Better Than A Weaker Athlete?
Is A Stronger Softball Player Better Than A Weaker Softball Player?
How Important is BETTER Vertebral Alignment to an Athlete?
How Important is Breathing To An Athlete?
We Will Control Your Airway Space Opening Through Our Mouthguard So That We Can Help You Breathe Easier Thorughout The Game. So When You Need To DIg Deeper During The Last 10 Minutes When Most Games Are Won Or Lost You Will Have An Advantage
How Important is BETTER Vertebral Alignment for an Athlete?
With respect to this Mouthguard project:
To Give Athlete A Competitive Edge
Playing At Your Optimal "FIXED JAW POSITION"
Goals: "With Mouth Device As Only Variable"
1. Can we Visually Alter the Athlete's FHP and Postural
Chain for Better Vertebral Alignment and
Muscle Recruitment
2. Can we Make a Player Stronger Functionally and More Mechanically Efficient
3. Can we Improve Athletes
Body Symmetry - Vertebral Alignment
Grip Mechanics - Stronger Muscle Recruitment
Stance Mechanics - Balance Foot to Ground Platform
Swing Mechanics - Flexibilty
Hand-Eye-Ball-Puck Coordination - Posture
Hit Ball-Puck Harder - Strength
Hit Ball-Puck Farther - Strength
Run-Skate Faster - Body Symmetry
Vertical Leaping Ability - Muscle Recruitment
Increase Pitch Velocity - Range of Motion
4. Does the Athlete Want To Wear a Mouthpiece in High School Sports Not Requiring One?
5. Are Mouthpieces Devices Results - Placebo or Real?
6. Does Athlete has any Positive or Negative comments
about wearing the Mouthpiece Device?
7. Do you feel your Performance Improved by 1-2-3-5% or Hindered your Performance?
Procedure; Only For Dr Portnoy's Patients
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 before you can participate. Min. age requirement 15 ½ yo. due to growth and development issues of jaws.
3. Attend a 1 hour lecture about why and what we believe you will experience with respect to skeletal and physiological changes in your body that might occur.
3. You will go through a preliminary test to see if you would be a good candidate for this project.
4. Have an oral examination of your teeth.
5. Have a dental impression taken of your upper teeth (or have your family dentist take an impression and mail it to me)
6. Return for equilibration of the new mouth device once it is fabricated. Photographs of the mouth device positioned out and in your mouth as well as a confirming video displaying exercises related to changes in muscle strength or breathing dynamics or flexibility or balance or jumping
7. You give Dr. Portnoy the right to show any of the above and photographs of you on the field with and without the mouth device for lecture, demonstration and educational purposes.
8. You will fill out a 2 page subjective evaluation form and return it after season is over.
9. You may opt out of project at anytime: If device hinders your play; You prefer to go back wearing your old mouthguard; Or by just returning the mouth device.
10. There are no financial cost to participants. Must involve a Adult Elected Liaison Parent for Dr Portnoy
Thanks for listening
Dr Portnoy
Call: 508-366-1700
