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Original poster

DD told it's 7 years for a brace!

132 replies

ukgone2pot · 24/02/2023 21:47

I almost fell off my chair today when the dentist told me DD would need to wait 7 years before she could get a brace fitted for her teeth. Apparently NHS are being very stringent as to who qualifies for one now too. DD is almost 12, so could be 19 when she finally has one fitted. The dentist explained due to the Covid backlog, they couldn't do anything about it. Fortunately, her teeth aren't too bad but I feel so angry for those children being made to wait like this.

Teeth are such an important part of how you look, and I fear that having crooked teeth well into your early adulthood is going to really affect the way you view yourself and cause more harm than good, especially with bullying etc if you have a bad case.

Of course, there is the option of going private but at £3-4000 a pop it's not cheap.

I just feel at times if those bastards (Tories) want to privatise the NHS - then fucking do it - but give people flexible options for when nasty surprises like this occurs. BTW - I don't know the ins and outs of privatisation, but surely some insurance contributions each month would help towards big expenses like this and cut out the wait times?

OP posts:
ItsOKToFeelProud · 24/02/2023 21:48

When shes 19 she may not get it on NHS anyway.

ItsOKToFeelProud · 24/02/2023 21:50

Sorry posted too soon

Also depends on the trust.
Ds was referred 11 months ago. He had his 1st assessment 3 weeks ago. Agreed he needs one.. 1st fitting /measuring etc apt is in 7 weeks.
So may not be too bad?

Axahooxa · 24/02/2023 21:50

Can you move to a different dentist as nhs patients?

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Children's health Dental health General health
Blort · 24/02/2023 21:50

If the NHS has agreed to pay for a brace, it sounds like she does need it. Straight teeth will help with future decay etc.

7 years is revolting but I've heard of 2 year waits for dental surgery etc. Imagine having a decaying tooth and multiple antibiotic courses etc, spreading absesses. For years!

We're fucked.

Nanof8 · 24/02/2023 21:51

Is it possible that they prioritise by how badly they need braces? Maybe if your child's teeth were crookeder, she would get in quicker?

Original poster
ukgone2pot · 24/02/2023 21:52

Axahooxa · 24/02/2023 21:50

Can you move to a different dentist as nhs patients?

She is an NHS patient...😕

OP posts:
rainyalan · 24/02/2023 21:53

My DD is 7 and I got told the waiting list was 6 years I'm hoping it'll of been changed by the time she needs them!

Hmmthatsgoodchicken · 24/02/2023 21:53

Dd was referred in July 2021 and we heard nothing (but they did say allow 18 months for covid backlog). We moved dentist she was re reffered in January this year and then we got a letter a week later with an appointment. We are now waiting for appointment number 2.

Where abouts in the country are you?

Original poster
ukgone2pot · 24/02/2023 21:55

Nanof8 · 24/02/2023 21:51

Is it possible that they prioritise by how badly they need braces? Maybe if your child's teeth were crookeder, she would get in quicker?

I asked the dentist this question, and he said no case is favoured over another. So once she's referred, she's on the list behind everybody else.

OP posts:
LynetteScavo · 24/02/2023 21:56

They were strongest pre covid too. DD was referred when she was 11 because the dentist knew there was a long wait and get braces when she was 14. She didn't qualify for NHS. If she had, I couldn't have got out of work to take her to the appointment anyway. Private patients were given evening and school holiday appointments, which made it possible. Basically if you want your DC to have straight teeth, unless they're really crooked, you'll need to pay.

iminvestednow · 24/02/2023 21:56

We were referred and got an appointment within 2 weeks, agreed she needed braces, had X-rays etc and braces fitted a month later as she needed a tooth removed before they could be fitted…

Whatthetrolley · 24/02/2023 21:56

We were referred in March 2022 and were told it was a 2 1/2 year wait. Received a letter in June 22 saying appointment is July 23 so not so bad after all.

Authorisatingarchibald · 24/02/2023 21:56

Middle we waited about 18 months pre covid. Youngest we are going private - £2200 so ahop around if you’re considering if

TessoftheDubonnet · 24/02/2023 21:57

The NHS 'services for children's braces was cr@p over 20 years ago when mine needed them. 12 is quite late for braces anyway. We went private, like everyone we knew.

I'd advise any parents to start saving for braces from birth. Even if they don't need them in the end, you can divert the money to their uni fund.

disconnecteddrifter · 24/02/2023 21:59

My son got braces in a year but he really needed them not just for cosmetic reasons

vinoandbrie · 24/02/2023 22:02

DD was referred pre-Covid. We were told the wait was two years. Post-Covid I checked up as we’d heard nothing, and we were told five years!

At which point we went private.

MaverickSnoopy · 24/02/2023 22:02

My dd is 11, she hadn't been referred but when we went to the dentist a couple of months ago we were told that she'll probably need braces due to crowding but to wait until all teeth were through and they'll do it then. No indication that there would be a wait but she also made it sound fairly instant.

lljkk · 24/02/2023 22:03

Dentist picked up that (almost 15yo) DS had cross bite in December 2022.
I believe that cross bite is quite important to treat early.
We were told 2 years to see NHS orthodontist.
Going private is still a 4 month wait just to get to the 1st consultation. Shock
10 years ago oldest DS got braces at 14... he was originally referred at 8yo, so maybe that's why he was that lucky.

MrsCarson · 24/02/2023 22:04

My Dd was referred when she was 11 and they were fitted when she was 14. I was just getting ready to book her a private appointment for them when the letter came.
She had an appointment to remove them a week into the first lockdown so ended up with them for 14 months extra.

BraceForImpact · 24/02/2023 22:04

Dd was referred 2 years ago and was finally seen last month at an orthodontist an hour away. The ones closer to home have a 4 year waiting list, unless you go private. We were told she doesn't qualify, as although she has a 5mm gap, she has a small overbite and her teeth aren't crooked. We've gone private and it's costing £3200 for braces top and bottom.

GloomyDarkness · 24/02/2023 22:05

Our dentist put kids on orthodontist lists in Y6.

Took DD1 pre covid 4 years to get to top of the list - her treatment was ongoing during covid.

DS was put on another list partly as it was a shorter list - still took 4.5 years and started post covid. DD2 was assesses quicker on same list but during covid and was put to back to be reassessed - likely be another 2 years - so will be 5 years.

So I'd go on lists and wait.

I thought they might not qualify for NHS eldest two have and it's likely DD2 will.

On issue is that they do often want to you stay with am orthodontist for all the treatment - so back and forth when they may be at uni or moving away with work would be a pain.

We can't actually get and NHS dentist for DH and I - and it was like that pre covid - so we have to pay.

Littleredbrickmammy · 24/02/2023 22:10

My DD needs a lot doing - at least 5 different issues. We have been waiting 6 months now since referral. I enquired to see if I could get some of it done private (there’s 2 things that will need to be done before the full on brace - large gap at front and an underbite) but got told if I go down private route for any of it then NHS wouldn’t treat her for the rest.

Octopusmittens · 24/02/2023 22:10

Blort · 24/02/2023 21:50

If the NHS has agreed to pay for a brace, it sounds like she does need it. Straight teeth will help with future decay etc.

7 years is revolting but I've heard of 2 year waits for dental surgery etc. Imagine having a decaying tooth and multiple antibiotic courses etc, spreading absesses. For years!

We're fucked.

‘revolting’? Hardly

dizzydizzydizzy · 24/02/2023 22:11

Seems we were lucky then . Both DCs had braces on the NHS, roughly 2014-2019. Never had any trouble with waiting times or any other aspect of the service.

HangerLaneGyratorySystem · 24/02/2023 22:16

Can you afford to pay for a second opinion? Just a consultation? My DD was told she needed surgery and a brace; this was at a large dental hospital hear us and by an associated orthodontist. We were really shocked at how serious the case seemed to be and I doubted what I was being told. I rang the Oral Health Foundation and talked it through with them:

www.dentalhealth.org

I then paid something like £80 for a private second opinion and the orthodontist said wait - just wait and see how it turns out, we had appointments to come back to him every 6-9 months to check, x-rays etc. Ok so that was, say, £50-80 a time. And he was right. Now my DD's case was of missing teeth embedded in the gums, and no way did she need a brace - I was told that orthodontists fit them so as to get the associated fee Hmm . But she might have undergone unnecessary surgery under a GA. Your DD's case is probably completely different but if you can afford the relatively small-ish fee for a second opinion go for it.