OPRO Bronze Junior Mouthguard

Product detailed description

The junior size is not a shrunken senior. The arch is shorter and narrower so that it seats on a child's jaw, and the manufacturer builds it for children up to 10. What settles it is the size of the mouth, not the year of birth: for a child on the borderline, OPRO says to measure the dental arch and choose by that.

Inside sits the same dual-layer EVA as in the senior version. The outer layer stays firm and holds the shape, the inner one softens in boiling water and takes an impression, fins included, which fill the gaps between teeth once moulded. The box holds a fitting handle that keeps the guard straight as the child bites down.

A child's dentition also comes with the assumption that it changes. Milk teeth drop out, adult ones push through, and a bite that sat well in September need not sit in January. The material can be remoulded, so once teeth have been replaced you run the process again. Bronze is the entry level; for a child who trains regularly and turns up at tournaments, OPRO also makes the junior size in Silver, with cover up to €12,500, and in Gold, with cover up to €15,000.

Key benefits

• Junior size – a shorter, narrower arch built for a child's jaw, which the manufacturer assigns to children up to 10.
• Dual-layer build – the firmer outer layer spreads the energy of an impact, the softer inner layer moulds around teeth and gums.
• Fitting handle – it holds the guard straight while you bite down, so the first attempt usually lands.
• EVA material – free from latex, BPA, BPS, PVC and phthalates.
• Re-mouldable – useful with a growing dentition, since you run the whole process again once teeth have been replaced.
• OPRO dental warranty – up to €10,000 for twelve months on the Bronze range, registration needed when you buy outside opro.com.

How to fit it

1. Pour freshly boiled water into a ceramic bowl and submerge the guard for exactly 20 seconds. No longer than that, or the material takes damage.
2. Lift it out, dip it briefly in cold water so it does not burn, and slot it onto the fitting handle.
3. Centre it on your upper jaw, bite down hard and shape it for 30 to 60 seconds: push with your tongue, suck the air out, massage your lips and cheeks.
4. Pull the handle off and put the guard in cold water for 30 seconds.
5. Let it set, 15 minutes in the fridge or an hour at room temperature.

If the bite is not right, heat the guard again and repeat the process.

With children an adult should run the fitting, since it involves boiling water.

Specifications

Care and lifespan

After training, run the Bronze under cold or lukewarm water, never hot, which warps the material. Let it dry and keep it in a ventilated case away from radiators, direct sun and car dashboards. It does not belong in a dishwasher.

Training around three times a week, OPRO expects a lifespan of 6 to 12 months and advises regular athletes to replace the guard after a year. With children there is one more reason to replace it: once the dentition has visibly changed, the moulded bite stops sitting. Retire it sooner if it loses its shape or you spot cracks and holes.

Warning

Fixed braces sit outside what this model is built for; OPRO covers them with separate versions in the Gold and Instant Custom Fit ranges. Fitting involves boiling water and with children an adult runs it, so mind the scalding risk. A mouthguard is never shared, and a damaged one is retired. The dental warranty has to be registered when the guard is bought outside opro.com, the terms are set by OPRO.