Athletic Mouth Guards and Performance Mouth Wear

Covington, Mandeville, Slidell, Metairie, & New Orleans Louisiana

New Orleans Saints custom made Pure Power Mouthguards by Dr. Moreau

The mouthguards are visible on the field because of the distinctive team colors and the Saints player's number and fleur de lis logo on either side.

As a Athletic Mouth Guards and Performance Mouth Wear certified, neuromuscular dentist, Dr. Moreau was a provider of the mouthguards for the NFL’s New Orleans Saints football players at the beginning of the 2009 season.

Our cosmetic dentist, Dr. Moreau, had the privilege of spending several days at the Saints' camp in September, 2009, to fit the players with Athletic Mouth Guards and Performance Mouth Wear. About 35 players received mouth guards in late September and have been using them for workouts as well as during games. The black and gold mouthguards are visible on-field as they display the player's number on one side and the Saints fleur de lis logo on the other side. Beyond protecting the players' teeth, the mouth guards are neuromuscular orthotics, based on the science of neuromuscular dentistry, and have been shown in a Rutgers University study to increase strength, flexibility and balance. Ongoing studies at Ohio State are also looking closely at the effectiveness of the mouth guards in helping to reduce concussions.

“I know the players who are using them are realizing the benefits. Some of the players told me they never wore a mouthguard before, and now I see them in their mouths every week on TV. Another player lost his in the locker room in a road game and called right away to request a replacement. Players whose names you might not have known early in the season have been wearing their mouth guards every week, they've stepped up and made big plays when the opportunity came, and now they are names you see in the media every day.”

Athletic Mouth Guards and Performance Mouth Wear are customized sports appliances invented by a neuromuscular dentist, Dr. Anil Makkar. The mouthguard helps improve the wearer’s strength, flexibility (range of motion), and balance by holding the lower jaw in the most relaxed, comfortable position for that individual.

About 50 percent of the signals that go to the brain come from the lower 1/3 of the face. By keeping the jaw muscles relaxed and comfortable, the mouth guard releases pressure and tension created by clinching the temporamandibular joint (TMJ) and facial muscles. It frees up the channels of communication within the nervous system, allowing the unimpeded flow of signals from the brain to other areas of the body. With performance mouthwear, the vertical dimension of the bite is opened slightly while still in the relaxed position. So the airway stays fully open instead of being partially compressed by muscle tension and inflammation. In turn, that allows more oxygen to enter your body, which also enhances performance. Athletic Mouth Guards and Performance Mouth Wear give you a competitive edge in sports activities.

Dr. Moreau with the New Orleans Saints fitting Pure Power Mouthguards

Drew Brees and New Orleans Saints as doctors explain Pure Power Mouthguard

New Orleans Saints Players listen intently as the doctors explain how the technology and science behind the neuromuscular mouthguards can help give them an edge in performance.

The mouth guard can be made for the upper jaw as a protective guard in contact sports or as a lower orthotic appliance popular in non-contact sports. It is custom designed for each individual using varying levels of computer scans and muscle relaxation techniques.

Dr. Moreau can have custom performance mouth wear made for you. Regardless of which sport you play, and whether you are a professional or amateur, your performance can improve noticeably when you wear a mouth guard.

Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMJ or TMD)

Dr. Moreau and a Saints player discussing correct neuromuscular position.

Dr. Moreau demonstrates for a player the difference that correct neuromuscular position can make for an athlete.

If you have TMJ disorder, you may not realize it because it is not well-known to the public. A neuromuscular dentist such as Dr. Moreau can accurately diagnose and treat it. Physicians will prescribe painkillers for TMJ pain without realizing it has a dental cause. Treating the symptoms this way may help with painful TMJ headaches; but it will not address their cause.

When Dr. Moreau examines you for Athletic Mouth Guards and Performance Mouth Wear, he will obtain precise measurements of your bite, data on your jaw muscle movements and jaw muscle electrical activity, and recordings of your jaw joint sounds. In effect, he will be diagnosing whether or not you have TMJ.

Fitting New Orleans Saints players with PPM

The first step in fitting the Saints for mouthguards was using electronic nerve stimulation to relax facial and jaw muscles so the correct jaw position could be determined.

For more information on TMJ, please see our pages on TMJ and TENS and TMJ and Headaches.

If you would like to meet with Dr. Moreau to obtain your custom mouth guard, please contact our neuromuscular dentistry office today for a personal consultation. Our Covington / Mandeville office serves the whole New Orleans area and we look forward to meeting with you.