Patent ID: 8667971

Claim:
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: a) positioning a spacing member between the teeth of the upper and lower jaws to obtain a desired position between the upper and lower jaw; b) recording at least one bite registration of the athlete while the lower jaw is in the desired position; and c) forming the mouthpiece, the mouthpiece including a pair of bite portions configured to substantially space apart and position the lower jaw relative to the upper jaw generally 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, wherein, in step (a), the spacing member is positioned generally between the anterior and posterior teeth of the upper and lower jaws, and wherein the spacing member comprises a cylindrical shaft having a diameter of between 1.0 mm and 12.0 mm.