For playing in the big leagues

It sounds like Anil Makkar is grinning from ear to ear. “I’m on my way to Atlanta to fit heavyweight boxer Evander Holyfield,” says the creator of Pure Power Mouthpieces (PPM) over the phone from the Toronto airport. “I’m hoping he’ll take a liking to me. I mean, you wouldn’t want to tick off a guy like that.”

The good-natured dentist has big reasons to be happy these days. After graduating from Dalhousie University in 1989, Makkar opened a cosmetic dental practice in his hometown of Truro, N.S. While outfitting a fisherman from Yarmouth with a custom-made mouth guard, he discovered that the device could have a strong healing effect on the entire body. “The idea is based upon the principles of neuromuscular dentistry,” he says. “We know that a proper bite is achieved when the muscles of the face, jaw, and neck are allowed to be at their most efficient and restful position.

Several clinical studies have confirmed those findings, opening the doors to big-league opportunities. “For athletes it means greater power, balance, range of motion, flexibility, endurance, and oxygen flow,” says Makkar. In the high-performance world of professional sports, that kind of competitive edge can tip the scales of victory. Last year Makkar and his staff outfitted the Super Bowl champions, the New Orleans Saints, and the revolutionary product found its way to February’s Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. “I felt like a proud father,” he says.

Today PPM is endorsed by a who’s who of celebrity athletes, including NFL receiver Terrell Owens and NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neal. And while the discovery has been a big boom for business, it’s the perks of the job that keep a smile on Makkar’s face: “My kids think I’m the coolest dad in the world because I have Shaq’s cell phone number.”