“The significant problems we have cannot be solved at the same level of thinking with which we created them.” – Albert Einstein
Why the Optimized Bite™?
We are purposely not marketing or promoting a performance mouthguard like everyone else. Everything we do we believe in challenging the status quo. We believe in thinking differently. The way we challenge the status quo is by providing the best education, teachings and techniques on how to achieve the best physiologic jaw position that is crucial to enhance athletic performance in a simple and scientific way. We don’t sell performance mouthguards or appliances. We advocate and promote the most high tech and physiologically sound bite taking technique that makes the difference in athletic performance. We teach dentist who are serious about excelling in athletic performance the Optimized Bite™ technique that makes the winning difference.
“We are driven by a cause and a belief, not in pursuit of the riches.”
The Optimized Bite™ protocols have consistently been demonstrated and recognized to improve elite athletic (olympic level) performance among top competitive athletes and trainers in various sport venues. Sport mouth guard companies are now trying to offer the cheapest and most convenient forms of guard products claiming performance enhancement by using low cost methods to capture a great market share and consumer attention based on the notariety of big name athletes who have proven scientifically that the K7 Optimized Bite™ science and technology is valid and real. No, it’s not the mouthguard packaging…its all about the bite! The physiologic and neuromuscular optimized bite protocols and science has been proven to cause an improved functional performance. It’s not the outside packaging…its the hidden unseen part that makes the packaging do what it does. It’s how the bite and position of the athlete or the TMJ patient that makes the difference. Better bite, better performance. Improved physiology, improved performance. Optimal jaw positioning, optimal body strength, body function and balance.
Sports mouthguard performance companies have been trying to figure out how to get in on the action and make a profit and benefit from such scientific efforts and knowledge of those who have dedicated their lives in educating, teaching, research and pain taking clinical patient care experience to investigate and learn how the human jaw and occlusal position works. Further advancements in the use of neuromuscular instrumentation and technology using specific techniques and protocols (Chan Optimized Bite) beyond the instrumentation standard protocols to improve the effects of the human bodies performance and improve ones physiologic health.
Three Way Conflict of Interest
Today there exists a conflict of interest between: 1) the needs of the competitive athlete, 2) the dentist-providers who can assist in establishing a more optimal jaw position that effects athletic performance and protection and 3) the intentions of sport performance athletic companies attempting to produce revenue streams that are profitable as well as economical for the athlete.
Physiologic science makes no mistakes as to the laws of nature, health and improving one’s physical performance. Athletes learn the key rules during training and disciplining their bodies: “You will win if you play by the rules.” This applies to one’s daily physical and structural work out routine, mental/emotional and psychological training, eating dietary and nutritional habits, endurance as well as spiritual training of one’s focus and heart’s desire….to win, be the best and conquer the goal.
Any conflict is a compromise in achieving what is possible – Optimal function and performance. Athletes and their supporting dentists are realizing it a grave error and mistake to compromise the jaw position when recording and capturing human bite since it effects the physiologic response of the athlete. The laws of masticatory muscle physiology (the foundation of all health and dental scientific knowledge), how the body is effected by one’s jaw position/bite, how it works, the optimizing of strained muscles, teeth and joints to improve function. It is possible to use scientifically measurable methods and techniques to achieve these goals that go way beyond marketing and promotional hype.
The Dentist Ingredient for Performance Success – Not Just the Mouthguard
The sports minded dentist must realize that his/her added ingredient to find the most optimal jaw relationship for his client/athlete or patient is significantly valued and important for success. It is not the mouthguard appliance alone. It is the improved jaw relationship established by the dentist that can positively or negatively effect an elite athlete’s stamina, strength, balance, flexibility and endurance. To positively improve the athletes performance requires the dentist to understand the science and physiology of how the masticatory muscles, temporomandibular joints and teeth (occlusion) functions to support one’s sports activies and resting modes during any given performance. The sport enhancing mouthguard’s jaw positioning can either improve or diminish the athletes abilities even if the bite was opened vertically a small amount. Not all dentists in this arena recognize how detailed and specific the human body can be when it comes to optimal performance. A well disciplined and trained athlete knows his/her body and can feel fine differences in their bite positions. When their jaws are positioned back or too far forward athletes have found that they can weaken. If their jaw is positioned in just the right position they have found that they are stronger. Jaw positioning effects the rest of the body. As with TMJ paining patients just any kind of vertical opening for splint therapy will not be sufficient. TMJ pain patients have discovered that when their muscles, jaw joint and occlusion is properly positioned in a physiologic or optimal manner based on how nature originally intended it, they improve back to normal health. When their dentist was not able to find a correct and physiologic mandibular to maxillary jaw relationship for them, even if they wore biteguards or splints, they did not always get better. In fact, in some instances their physical condition and symptoms got worse.
The athlete’s muscles, joints and occlusion should be treated no different. In order to achieve optimal performance and physical health, it is only reasonable and prudent to find the right bite that is truly physiologic in order that the teeth, muscles and temporomandibular joints are operating at their best to support a healthy body function and optimal function to perform at its best. The Optimized Bite™ protocols used by elite athletes know there is a significant difference between manual manipulated jaw positioning and computerized jaw tracking instrumentation techniques to objectively determine their optimized position. Their winning status proves the point.
It Takes Time, Effort, Discipline and Energy
Sport performance companies realize that it takes more time, effort and attention to detail to provide their top athletes a winning bite. Top athletes don’t win without putting some time and dedicated effort in aligning their jaws and body posture to an optimal position that gives them the best strength and abilities when demands are place on their bodies during a sporting event.
Most sportguard performance companies don’t really care in general about what it takes to get the the correct and most physiologic bite for the athlete as much as they care about sales of their product and noted athletes names listed on their websites to promote and advertise their product. It’s like giving a name brand pair of ski’s to a top winning athlete without properly making sure their ski’s are the right size and the bindings are properly and ideally fitted and adjusted so the athlete can ski his/her best. The fancy ski’s mean nothing unless they are designed and properly adjusted to the feet for optimal performance. Who does the fitting? Who does the adjusting of those ski’s? Who does the fabrication of those ski’s and bindings as well as the training and coaching to help make sure that the athlete is a top notch winner? It just wasn’t the name brand ski’s they wore, neither the name brand drink label they held up to cheer their win showing off to the TV camera’s their named sponsorship on the news and TV promotion.
Discriminating athletic olympic trainers realize that a computerized generated K7 Optimized Bite™ is the best for their athletes. They don’t settle for other generic sportsguard bites which have been shown to actually weaken and diminish their athlete’s abilities. Why would any prudent sports dentist who understands these advanced optimized bite concepts offer their athlete clients less than the best unless they had a conflict of their own philosophy and or else had a different goal, agenda, mission and vision for the services and bites they provide their athletes?
We are purposely not marketing or promoting a performance mouthguard appliances like everyone else. We are promoting an “Optimized Bite” that only a trained K7 Occlusion Connections™ dentist is trained and skilled to provide.
We are the creators and innovators..the first to pioneer the Chan Optimized Bite™ protocol and technique that makes the difference.
© 2009 Clayton A. Chan, DDS. All Rights Reserved.
