In the 1960s, Bernard Jankelson came up with the idea that the right kind of mouth guard could improve athletic performance, reports J. Michael Falgoust in USA Today (11/17/09). Bernard is no longer with us, but his son, Robert, continues to pioneer what his father termed, "neuromuscular dentistry." Simply put, the goal is to use a mouth guard to position and relax jaw and facial muscles "to kick start a chain reaction to make the human body perform at a higher level."

According to Robert, the mouth guard "allows the best joint function and recruitment of the power muscles of the jaw, that's when you increase your athletic efficiency ... This power train goes all the way down, from the teeth, to the neck, the vertebrae, the back." Or, as Alex Naini, another neuromuscular dentist, explains, "Anything that pulls the jaw forward opens the airway ... You have more space to let oxygen into your lungs." The result, it's said, is an "oxygen bump" that improves "endurance, strength and flexibility."

While the American Dental Association doesn't recognize "neuromuscular dentistry" as a speciality, much less approve the use of such mouth guards, Redskins lineman Derrick Dockery says his breathing is "different" and he feels more energetic when he's using one. But at least one study found the mouth guards ineffective, and even Derrick says he's not sure the difference isn't just psychological. But others believe that if the science is tested, and the concept confirmed, neuromuscular mouth guards will become "the standard of care," in the NFL, not unlike the way sports beverages gained acceptance.