Shock Doctor Introduces First and Only Dental-Quality Custom Mouthguard in Sporting Goods Stores Across the Country

MINNEAPOLIS, June 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Shock Doctor, Inc., the leader in mouthguard technology, has introduced the Shock Doctor Custom Mouthguard, a dental-quality custom mouthguard that provides athletes with the perfect fit for increased protection and improved performance. The Shock Doctor Custom Mouthguard is the first and only dental-quality custom mouthguard available in sporting goods retail stores.

"As the industry leader, we want to provide a perfect fitting custom mouthguard to the sporting goods retail customer," said Tony Armand, president and CEO of Shock Doctor. "We think every athlete deserves the highest level of protection."

The Shock Doctor Custom Mouthguard is designed and individually made from a custom mold. After purchasing a Shock Doctor Custom Mouthguard kit at a sporting goods retailer or online at shockdoctor.com/custom, the consumer creates a custom mold at home and sends it to the Shock Doctor Dental Lab; every mold and finished mouthguard is personally inspected by a dental professional to ensure flawless construction and the best possible fit. The consumer then receives his or her custom mouthguard in approximately two weeks. The suggested retail price for the Shock Doctor Custom Mouthguard is $149.99.

Part of the appeal of the Shock Doctor Custom Mouthguard lies in the ability to personalize it with name, number and team colors. The interactive online customizer tool on shockdoctor.com/custom offers users the ability to create their own mouthguard, with more than 190 color combinations and custom lettering and numbers. Consumers can save up to 10 customized mouthguard designs and see their creations in 3D from several angles.

The Shock Doctor Custom Mouthguard is available at sporting goods retailers such as Dick's, Hibbett Sports, Modell's and The Sports Authority in select markets and online. A complete list of retail locations is available at shockdoctor.com/custom.

Better Fit = Protection and Performance Benefits

"Working with Dan Brett, D.D.S., our Shock Doctor Dental Lab and our advisory board, including Dr. Noshir Mehta of Tufts Dental School, we have what we believe is the best fitting mouth guard available," said Jay Turkbas, senior vice president of product development at Shock Doctor. "After extensive laboratory and on-field research and countless prototypes, we're proud to introduce a state of the art mouthguard that improves protection and performance and is accessible to consumers at an affordable price."

The National Dental Association estimates that mouthguards prevent more than 200,000 injuries per year. Currently, the National Collegiate Athletic Association requires mouthguards for four sports: ice hockey, lacrosse, field hockey and football. The National Federation of High Schools, NFHS, requires mouthguards for even more sports and over two million high school athletes.

The Shock Doctor Custom Mouthguard is designed to better absorb and deflect impacts that can cause injuries. Shock Doctor's patented triple-layer technology offers 30 percent additional shock absorption. The "forming layer" helps the mouthguard fit snugly in place and the additional layers combine to create the ideal thickness and help provide protection against shock and impact. Every Shock Doctor Custom Mouthguard carries with it a $30,000 limited warranty for dental injuries.

"The key to maximum mouthguard protection is fit and retention," said Turkbas. "We've all seen athletes take their mouthguards out and chew on them. That's because many mouthguards can be hard to self-fit comfortably and they end up not fitting as well as they could. The Shock Doctor Custom Mouthguard stays comfortably in place to keep athletes protected – without affecting their ability to breathe and speak normally."

The Shock Doctor Custom Mouthguard can also improve performance by making it easier to breathe, communicate and focus. It positions the jaw to create optimum muscular function of the head and neck muscles. Preliminary research shows that this may translate to an increase in overall muscular strength and improved performance.

About Shock Doctor

Shock Doctor is the market and technology leader in mouthguards. The company transformed and elevated the mouthguard industry by introducing innovative, shock absorbing, superior fitting self-custom mouthguards. In addition to a full line of patented, technologically advanced mouthguards, Shock Doctor offers a comprehensive line of sports protection products for hockey, football, baseball, basketball, soccer, martial arts and boxing, lacrosse and motorsports. Shock Doctor products are sold at major and independent sporting goods retailers throughout the U.S. and in select international markets, as well as through the company's web site, shockdoctor.com. Shock Doctor is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn.

Shock Doctor is the official mouthguard sponsor of USA Football and USA Hockey.

SOURCE Shock Doctor, Inc.