"Sports Dentistry" involves the prevention and treatment of orofacial athletic injuries and related oral diseases, as well as the collection and dissemination of information on dental athletic injuries and the encouragement of research in the preventive of such injuries. Both Dr. Birnbaum and Dr. Aaronson are active members of the Academy for Sports Dentistry (ASD) and they frequently attend the annual ASD Symposiums.

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Dr. Aaronson has treated athletes across a wide range of sports, from hockey and football to water polo and bobsledding. She has treated players on the Red Sox, Celtics, Bruins, Revolution, as well as Olympic athletes and other NFL, NBA, MLB, MLS and NHL players and coaches. She has lectured on the topic of custom mouthguards and has served as an international consultant on the topic of performance-enhancing and protective custom mouthwear.

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Your jaw is the key... unlock the power you never knew was there...

 

No one ever told you that your jaw could perform better. That's because no one knew. Hundreds of years ago, a few people were on to something: Ancient Greek athletes who bit down on leather straps for an edge during competition; Viking and Roman warriors who clamped down on leather bits for focus on the battlefield. They knew something here worked, but the concept itself never evolved. Until now.

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Performance Mouthwear is a completely new category of performance gear designed for all athletes looking to get better in their chosen sport. It has been engineered to unlock your power and potential. It's all in you, but blocked by one of the human body's instinctive reflex systems – teeth-clenching. With safe, custom-built Performance Mouthwear, athletes in any sport – from football to golf to hockey – can capitalize on innovation that makes you stronger, faster and better.

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Bite Tech has partnered with Under Armour to introduce Under Armour Performance Mouthwear™ powered by ArmourBite™ Technology, an innovative new line of custom mouthpieces and mouthguards that provides athletes in any sport the ability to unlock their full potential.

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Dr. Aaronson is the Dental Director of Professional Athlete Services for Bite Tech, Inc, the company that makes Under Armour Performance Mouthwear. She has fit over 75 professional athletes on several teams, including the Boston Red Sox, Boston Celtics, Boston Bruins, New England Revolution, Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Chicago White Sox, Toronto Raptors, Indianapolis Colts, Oakland Raiders, Philadelphia Eagles, Atlanta Thrashers, Seattle Sounders, Colorado Rapids and the New York Red Bulls.

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Proven Benefits of Under Armour Performance Mouthwear:

Increases Strength

With improved airflow and less stress from clenching, UA Performance Mouthwear has been proven to increase strength by an average of 17% with the UA Performance Mouthpiece and 12% with the UA Performance Mouthguard.

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Increases Endurance

UA Performance Mouthwear enlarges airway openings, resulting in 25% less lactic acid build-up after 30 minutes of intense exercise.

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Speeds Up Reaction Time

Athletes may respond faster when wearing UA Performance Mouthwear. Clinical trials show an improvement in responding to auditory cues and potential improvement in response to visual cues.

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Reduces Athletic Stress

Excess cortisol causes stress, fatigue and distraction. UA Performance Mouthwear decreases cortisol production, which means you feel & play better.

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Reduces Impact

When the jaw suffers an impact, energy can be transmitted to the head, which can cause concussion. UA Performance Mouthguards have been shown to reduce the G-Force impact of blows to the jaw by up to 20%.

Click here to download the brochure for Under Armour Performance Mouthwear. 

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Grin and Wear It

Dr. Aaronson is a member of Grin and Wear It, a program sponsored by the Massachusetts Dental Society that educates parents and children on the importance of wearing mouthguards during contact sports and has volunteered to fit school-aged children with custom-made mouthguards at a nominal fee.

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Academy for Sports Dentistry's Position on a Properly Fitted Mouthguard

"An athletic mouthguard is a resilient device or appliance placed inside the mouth (or inside and outside) to reduce mouth injuries particularly to the teeth and surrounding structures." (ASTM)

For optimal safety and well-being of athletes competing in the 21th Century, the Academy for Sports Dentistry has adopted the position that the single word "mouthguard" must be placed by the term "a properly fitted mouthguard".

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The criteria for the fabrication or adaptation of a "properly fitted mouthguard" must include the following considerations:

• Pertinent Medical History

• Dental Status

• Dental caries

• Periodontal Status

• Developmental Occlusion

• Orthodontic or Prosthodontic Appliances

• Congenital/Pathological Conditions

• Jaw Relationships

• Demographic Factors

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With these considerations, knowledgeable persons in the field of sports dentistry should advise the athlete and/or parents of the special design for the "properly fitted mouthguard" and the individual. A fitting of a mouthguard is best accomplished under the supervision or direction of a dentist. The end product should have the properties that include:

• Adequate thickness in all areas to provide for the reduction of impact forces.

• A fit that is retentive and not dislodged on impact.

• Speech considerations equal to the demands of the playing status of the athlete.

• A material that meets FDA approval.

• Preferably a wearing length of time equal to one season of play.