The $2,250 Mouthguard

I was watching Monday Night Football last season and one of the announcers, Jon Gruden, was talking about how the New Orleans Saints were all wearing these special kind of mouthguards that increased their balance and flexibility. It sounded kind of ridiculous at the time, but I was also a bit intrigued.

Now considering they ended up winning the Superbowl for the first time in franchise history, perhaps there was something to those little pieces of plastic. It's been something that I wondered about from time to time, and just last night at the gym I got into a discussion about it with my trainer Taz and another fellow. So I decided to finally look into it.

The basic idea centers around neuromuscular dentistry, which explores the relationship between jaw alignment and the body. The theory is that you can find an ideal jaw position that will unlock the rest of the body and create health benefits that include increased flexibility and strength.

Every Pure Power Mouthguard must be specially fitted by an authorized dentist to the individual's mouth. The process begins with a 45 minute muscle and nerve stimulation, which de-programs the nerve patterns that are causing any misalignment in your jaw. Next, a computer tracks your jaw movement to its ideal position to within 0.7 millimeters. Finally, the exact space between your bite is found and a custom mold is created. After a series of exercises ensure your ideal bite has been found, you're set.

Personally, it sounds pretty cool to me. I definitely believe that the proper alignment of bones, muscles, and meridians will increase your energy flow, and thus make your body function at a higher level. I'd love to try this out myself and see how it works, but this science is not cheap. The basic model is $595 while the top-of-the-line signature series model will cost you a mind-boggling $2,250. For a mouthguard. Then again, that's like the tip on the dinner bill for most pro athletes, so I'm sure Makkar–the company that makes these–is profiting greatly from the sports world.

Click here to go to Makkar's website and learn more about their Pure Power Mouthguards.