We often are notified of products that ‘improve’ performance, speed, power or balance. Some of them we find to be marginal. And others turn out to be amazing discoveries. So we have to research all of them. We only post those, which have valid claims.

So far, this Pure Power Mouth Guard, PPM, by Makkar seems to have a positive effect in regards to improving athletic performance. It has taken over 8 weeks to complete our research on this product. And there have been some recent studies as well as ongoing studies that prove the claims.

Athletes are always in pursuit of an edge no matter how slight. Training regimen, food, supplements or something that will offer a natural advantage to help them train and perform better. Many athletes, including professionals from basketball and football to golf and tennis, are trying the Makkar PPM™ to get an advantage. Studies so far support the PPM’s effect on vertical jump and peak power performance in particular.

How does the Makkar Pure Power Mouthguard, PPM, work?

Basically, it’s effectiveness hinges on aligning the upper body properly. For most of us, head posture and jaw alignment are sub-optimal which impedes performance.

According to Makkar, the manufacturer, the PPM works by bringing your jaw into an alignment position optimized for performance. This enhanced alignment position allows the body to operate much more efficiently.

PPM has been shown to provide instant improvements in several areas vital to athletic performance - balance, range of motion, flexibility, explosive speed and strength.

The process of properly aligning the jaw position is based on the principles of Neuromuscular Dentistry, which indicate that a “good” bite is achieved when the muscles of the face, jaw and neck are allowed to be at their most efficient state, which is a restful state. Overall, there is a benefit of more efficient oxygen delivery. Based on the initial study, we can conclude that a mouthguard designed using neuromuscular dentistry techniques has the potential to impact athletic performance in areas related to maximal power and repeatable power outputs such as sports needing bursts of power or speed.

Where do you get a PPM and how much will it cost?

The PPM is custom fitted for your mouth by network of PPM certified dental professionals. Once you are evaluated, the PPM dentist will take impressions of your lower and upper teeth. The object is to determine your optimal bite position.

The PPM is made from this impression in Makkar's dental lab and sent back to the dentist for fitting. That’s the short version.
These are about $500-$2000 depending on the kind you buy. Price depends on the amount of fitting being done. To the right are the different kinds starting with the least expensive on up to the professional series.

Can Kids wear these?

Ideally, PPM candidates would be at least 14 years of age. Prior to that, the jaw is still growing so it’s likely to be outgrown too quickly. After that, athletes of any age can wear it—if they have enough teeth to anchor the device.

// -->

What sport do they work for?

There are versions for sports that normally don’t use mouth guards such as golf, tennis and baseball. For these sports, the guard would be "invisible" and would not function as a protective device. There there is a series of guards designed for sports where mouth guards are required such as football and basketball and for these sports the PPM works as a protective guard and a natural body aligning performance enhancement device. Athletes in many sports, including those mentioned and also sports like biking and martial arts, can utilize the benefits of the PPM.

Any PPM studies with proof?

Specifically, a study by Rutgers University in 2010 showed that the PPM improved vertical jump, and power-based movements and explosive strength (i.e. martial arts, football, baseball) requiring bursts of power or speed. The PPM was compared with the typical non-performance based protective mouthguard. So emphasis was on the sports that required the use of a mouthguard anyway. Future studies may have control groups that do not usually wear mouthguards at all.

There are other claims such as balance and agility and these are being studied now. Get the PPM Study from Rutgers University.

Where did it come from?

The Pure Power Mouthguard is based on a branch of medicine called neuromuscular dentistry. It is a treatment modality of dentistry that focuses on correcting "misalignment" of the jaw at the temporomandibular joint  (TMJ). Dr. Anil Makkar, the Makkar PPM™ developer, noticed some of his patients, recreational golfers, reported increased performance following treatment for TMD. In short, he put two and two together and saw that the mouthguard was a potential advantage for athletes and developed the Makkar PPM.

Who wears it?

There are a number of professional athletes who endorse the product. But probably the two biggest stories of success would be the New Orleans Saints who wore the mouthguards in the 2010 Super Bowl. The Saints were the first NFL team to be fitted for pure power mouth guards.

In 2010, the PGA rejected the PPM citing it gave athletes an advantage. That was nearly an endorsement of the product’s effectiveness. As a result, USGA has ruled that players can wear it as long as they have been diagnosed with TMJ or TMD. Therefore golfers will need a written prescription for it to be worn on the PGA tour. The mouthguard for golfers is different than what you'd use for hockey as it cannot be seen while mouthguards for sports that require teeth protection do show.

As of this writing, the Pure Power Mouthguard is now published in the Comparative Exercise Physiology Journal. This makes the PPM the only published mouthguard on the market - lending a great amount of credibility. Now trainers and coaches have a valid publication to read on top of the university based research.

Some of the athletes who wear the PPM: Cristiano Ronaldo, soccer player; Bodie Miller Olympic Skier Gold Medallist; Tracy Porter of the New Orleans Saints; Chicago Wolves center Kevin Doell; Scott McCarron, PGA professional golfer.