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Every now and then something new comes along that seems so hightech that it apears to fill a created void. In other words-it is unnecessary. Occasionally, after trying these products, one becomes so attached to them we wonder how we ever lived without them. For me, so it was with the Shock Doctor.

The Shock Doctor is the Cadillac of mouthguards. It makes all other mouthguards look like a cheap piece of plastic designed to comply with an unnecessary rule, while the Shock Doctor offers true protection. Most players only think of mouthguards as protection for their teeth, and they are to some extent. However, they serve an even greater purpose in preventing concussions.

Wen you think about it, mouth guards only protect half of your teeth anyway, so the protection they offer in this regard is limited. USA Hockey's requirement that all players from Pee Wee through Junior wear internal mouth guards, in addition to the required cages or full visors, stems from the desire to protect players from cincussions. This is an area in which the Shock Doctor excels.

The Shock Doctor features a patented composite construction, with Kraton cushions for extra padding between the molars, as well as in the front. This not only reduces the shock transfered from the chin through the teeth to the brain, (and yes, even hockey players have these) it also allows more air flow through this area, where conventional mouth guards restrict air flowthrough here. When it comes to oxygen, like hockey, the more the merrier.

The Shock Doctor is designed to improve speech over conventional mouthguards. This is accomplished by Kraton pads, which permit one to talk even with their teeth clenched. As a youthhockey coach who hates the loss of communication with players resulting from the mandatory mouth guard rule, this is a huge improvement, and one which I recommend to all players.

The Shock Doctor offers a $7,500 dental warranty; newly designed straps for better vision, a free storage case-blah, blah, blah-but really the question becomes "What price protection?" Go ask Tony Granato, who missed a big chunk of last season due to a concussion, if he wishes he had been wearing such a device. I was truly impressed with the Shock Doctor. The manufacturer really did its homework in designing it, and once you try it you will never go back to the cheap one-piece plastic.

- Bill Ferguson