Methods of preparing customized mouthpieces for enhancing athletic performance

A method of preparing a customized mouthpiece for an athlete, the athlete having a mouth, an upper jaw with anterior and posterior teeth, a lower jaw with anterior and posterior teeth, and a temporomandibular joint movably connecting the upper and lower jaws, the method comprising the steps of:

• recording a bite registration of the athlete when the lower jaw is substantially in a centric occlusion position;
• taking impressions of the anterior and posterior teeth of the upper and lower jaws;
• generating upper and lower molds from the impressions;
• mounting the upper and lower molds using an articulator;
• inserting the bite registration in the upper and lower molds to space apart the upper and lower molds;
• shifting the upper and lower molds in the articulator to increase a vertical amplitude by a first predetermined dimension and increase an anterior-posterior amplitude by a second predetermined dimension, thereby defining a desired position;
• and
• forming the mouthpiece between the upper and lower molds while substantially in the desired position, the mouthpiece including a pair of bite portions configured to substantially space apart and position the lower jaw relative to the upper jaw according to the desired position, and a connecting portion connecting the bite portions within the mouth, each of the bite portions including an upper engagement surface facing the posterior teeth of the upper jaw and a lower engagement surface facing the posterior teeth of the lower jaw, the upper and lower engagement surfaces configured to engage the upper and lower posterior teeth, respectively, and substantially prevent movement of the lower jaw relative to the upper jaw.