OPRO, the world’s most technically advanced mouthguard company, has been honoured with a King’s Award for Enterprise: Innovation after launching an industry-first Instant Custom-Fit mouthguard which provides athletes at all levels with dentist-level comfort and protection in minutes.
OPRO is one of only 185 organisations nationally to be recognised with a prestigious King’s Award for Enterprise in 2026. Announced today (Wednesday 6th May), the Award acknowledges the company’s outstanding achievement in Innovation.
Employing 50 people, OPRO was founded in 1997 by dentist Dr Anthony Lovat and launched its Instant Custom-Fit mouthguard in 2022.
The world-first custom-fit mouthguard, which eliminates the need for dental impressions and can be fitted instantly at home - saving athletes, schools, clubs and parents significant time and money - is the latest in a long line of patented mouthguard systems developed using cutting-edge technology and groundbreaking design and production methods. OPRO has protected more than 10 million athletes and 70 governing bodies and professional teams worldwide.
The family-owned and run company is based in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, and has previously been awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation in 2007 and 2019, in recognition of its boundary-pushing work in the field of oral protection.
OPRO founder, Dr Anthony Lovat, said:
“We are incredibly honoured to receive the King’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation. Innovation has been at the heart of the OPRO story for more than 25 years and we’re proud to be recognised as we continue to push boundaries in the industry.
“We believe our Instant Custom-Fit mouthguard is not only a world-first, but a genuine gamechanger, providing athletes at all levels with an elite-standard mouthguard which is affordable to all and allows both professional and grassroots players to safely play the sports they love.”
The King’s Awards for Enterprise - previously known as The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise - were renamed in 2023 to reflect His Majesty The King’s commitment to continuing the legacy of HM Queen Elizabeth II in celebrating exceptional UK businesses.
Now in its 60th year, the King’s Awards for Enterprise remain the UK’s most prestigious business accolades, recognising outstanding achievement and innovation across British industry.
The OPRO Instant Custom-Fit mouthguard, along with all other OPRO products, is available online and through OPRO’s global network of retailers. For more information, please visit https://www.opro.com/
