Getting my head around orthodontics for teens...

In Australia. Dd had a 9mm overbite, from memory. She had her lower jaw broken, titanium inserts screwed on and a titanium thingy into her chin for bone to grow over so her jaw was lengthened and they changed the angle. Wisdom teeth came out about 6 months prior.

So, blocks first in primary school, train tracks top and bottom, wisdom teeth out then jaw surgery at the end of year 10, braces off, retainers in, retainers out. Retainers to be used regularly for the rest of her life. Braces took about 20 months, I think.

She was in hospital for about three days - surgery, 24 hours in intensive care and about 48 hours on the ward. They wanted her eating (purees) properly before she could leave and to be sure any bleeding had stopped.

She had long been unable to swallow tablets and when she sang, she was a bit tinny, I thought. The opening to the eosophagus was given enough room to open up properly so she can now swallow even the biggest tablets and her singing voice has a lovely, round timbre.

Our experience was exactly the same as yours. DD's teeth were overcrowded but not causing any problems. Treatment has been free, appointments every 8 weeks and very pleased with the outcome

This definitely wasn't our experience. We didn't have to make a case at all. They got referred to the orthodontist who had a good look and gave the yes or no for treatment. We weren't asked about pain or difficulty eating or anything like that. It definitely felt like an objective test the orthodontist carried out - they had to meet certain criteria.

To pick up the point in another post that suggests you get better treatment privately...in our case my 2 went to orthodontists who offer NHS and private so I imagine the care is the same. Certainly our eldest has beautiful straight teeth now and i can't fault the care she had or see how her teeth could look any better.

Not sure about that. Half of DD’s friends have braces and it was to fix wonky teeth.

My DD is 14 this month and had braces fitted last May - our (private) dentist referred her for NHS orthodontic treatment when she was about 10 because the waiting list is 3 years in our area. First appointment they do an assessment to see if they qualify for NHS treatment and my DD does. She had a gap between front teeth and a moderate overbite.
She sees the orthodontist about every 12 weeks for a checkup. She has also needed one emergency repair - they only allow 3 repairs on NHS so they have to be careful about what they eat!
The treatment from the orthodontist has been excellent, we expect she’ll have the braces on for another 6 months or so.

I agree you need to make a case for clinical need, e.g. pain or difficulty chewing etc, for the NHS to cover orthodontics but my experience is that it's about the form of words you use rather than any objective test. They have to be under 18 at the beginning of treatment but if it goes on past then it continues to be paid for until the process is over. Unlike a pp, my DS was also provided with a retainer FOC. His treatment was a few years ago now but I think we waited 6 or 8 months for the initial appointment and then 3-4 months between appointments, and the whole thing took a couple of years, including a hiatus while we waited for a second tooth to grow into the space vacated by a baby tooth that had to be extracted. He saw the same orthodontist throughout and it took place in a private practice despite being NHS funded. Hope your DC manages to get what they need. The term "British teeth" isn't a compliment.

My daughter was assessed for braces but it wasn’t bad enough for NHS so we went private. Her friend has braces treatment at the same orthodontists but on NHS and she has far fewer appointments and her teeth are not making the same progress.

The NHS only pays now if there is a medical reason rather than just cosmetic eg and overbite is medical but wonky teeth is cosmetic. Sometimes train tracks and sometimes a removable one. Process lasts 2-3 years. The thing I didn't know was afterwards they have to have retainer at least twice a week at night for ever. These cost £100 ( not covered by NHS) and can crack quite quickly. So I wouldn't rush into starting the process early

Over hear , I know of people who have been on the list until 17 , it's become so long now but I do think the guidelines have been made harder to reach also , the measurements have been changed . My dc is 14 too, braces on 18 months, huge improvements and hopefully they will be off by Christmas.

We paid for DC to go private as the NHS waiting list was 18-24 months post covid. All paid upfront. They had a removable block brace to change bite and now fixed braces with bands to keep that in place. We go to the orthodontist every 4-6 weeks.

Yes, I fully intend to go private. She's 14 and can't be in pain as she is for another 3 years. I just couldn't believe how long the wait was, it did shock me.

DD’s 1and 2 had NHS treatment - Dd3 was assessed during COVID and when we were finally seen again it was a five year wait so I paid privately (£120 a month for 2 years) but she was 13 and would be waiting until adulthood!

Mine was referred still with baby teeth in the mouth, so our longest wait was for all adult teeth to erupt.
There is strict criteria for NHS criteria which is based on teeth measurements and clinical need.
4 year journey here with complex palate procedure thrown in also. But what the braces achieve is incredible!
And braces tightened every 6 weeks.

We were seen quite quickly. My child was 16 and was offered them to fix a slight overbite. Their teeth were pretty straight but they still offered them due to the measurement being just over the limit. They were seen within 8months, and are meant to return every 6 weeks. Has only been 4 months but can see a difference.

It's well worth the money for the pain factor alone .

Kids get assessed over here, you either meet the criteria for NHS funding or you don’t, DD just met the criteria but in our area, as she was still considered a minor case, we were quoted a 4 year wait to have braces fitted. Since she was very self conscious, we paid privately, £3500, braces were on just under 18 months, appts every 6 weeks, follow up appts once braces are removed for 2 years. Price includes fixed and nighttime retainers.

I've just been told 3 years for the NHS waiting list for my daughter.
She's got TMJ, has had the consultation and is considered a good candidate for braces. She's is pain all the time and can hardly open her mouth.
I'm obviously going to pay for the treatment, they can see her in a month if I do that instead.

Yes, a year doesn't seem right at all.

The braces move the teeth quite quickly these days.

I'm in Ireland but dc is every 6 weeks for tightening wires and checking if elastics are working . Her teeth were not bad enough for free treatment so we have to pay. She could be on the list until late teens if her teeth were bad enough for the list , so we went private .

A year? That's not right! They have to tighten and adjust them regularly. How are they going to move in a year with no adjustment?