DD told it's 7 years for a brace!

[ukgone2pot]

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?

My brother was referred very late my his dentist (16 I think as they were waiting for all teeth to come through?) and the receptionist at the orthodontist took one look at his teeth when he came for his referral appointment and bumped him up the waiting list for an immediate start.

To be fair, he needed like 4 or 6 teeth out, and had what might be the worst teeth in terms of how they were arranged of anyone I have ever seen. It took 5 years of braces to get them sorted I think.

As you have mentioned her teeth aren't bad, did the dentist say the NHS will definitely fund the braces?
My DS was on the waitlist (luckily prior to covid) but when we were eventually seen moulds done, teeth removed etc the NHS refused to pay as his teeth weren't bad enough, so I had to pay to go privately, I had no idea that could happen,

Can you ask if they can refer you out of area?
That's what our dentist did so instead of a 2 year wait, kids actually had a 4 week wait. Admittedly before Covid.

Whereabouts in the country are you?

We've waited a year for an initial orthodontist appointment for dd now 16. She needs some dental work first and then a brace. 7 years is mad!

It’s not late if they haven’t lost their teeth, we were at the orthodontist today, just starting at 13 as he still had 6 teeth to lose up until 3 weeks ago when they all came out over 11 days. Orthodontist said year 8:9 is the the main time to get so 12-14

Took my son 4 years from referral to getting his braces (though to be fair Covid happened during that time too) he got his braces and just turned 17 we are lucky he is on nhs

To be fair that sounds about right. They can’t do a lot until all the baby teeth are out.

we’ve known my DD needed braces from about six years old and the dentist referred her to the orthodontist early in year six because of the waiting list time. At that point she still had a couple of baby teeth still to go. She’s got her fitting next week (she’s now half way through year seven) and has her full set of adult teeth so the timing was spot on.

My DS needed an op before his braces could be fitted. This was pre-covid but given all the work he needed we decided to pay for private orthodontic work however they arranged for the op to be done first on the NHS so it’s not impossible! He had to have his gums opened and chains fitted to two teeth which were stuck - the chains were tightened and the teeth eventually moved down!

I'm in Australia and we do not have subsidised dentistry.
Lots of kids here have braces, and we have to suck up the GBP4,000 cost or go without. Sadly it is all about priorities. Non straight teeth may not look fabulous but they will rarely affect a person's health. So I'm guessing it is deemed to be cosmetic in the broadest sense.

I guess the NHS has too many demands and not enough budget.

Here even a dental check up and clean can cost GNP175. Shocking.

Privatising the NHS will just mean more money for shareholders and billionaire health companies. If you really think more money should be going to the NHS (I agree) then instead of paying insurance contributions and privatising, why don't we just pay more National Insurance or Income tax and give more to the NHS. This would definitely cut waiting times. Other suggestions to help would be retention and recruitment of staff and finding a way to reduce the number of people who fail to attend appointments (among many others). Cut down on tax evasion, make the large companies pay tax, no non-dom status, windfall taxes etc etc and put the billions into the NHS. The NHS is fantastic and if it was properly funded it would be truly amazing! Anyone who wants to privatise the NHS wants them and their friends to get rich, they are not thinking of us.

Sorry, got sidetracked there... Also, good luck with an orthodontist, it seems like there is huge variety nationally.

DD was referred Aug 2019 age 13, she was finally at the top of the list in Nov 21. She has just had it removed and has perfect teeth, absolutely brilliant service, albeit the two year wait.

Hope the wait is not as long as they say.

Can you ask if there's an orthodontist further away with a shorter waiting list? That's what our dentist does if you're happy to travel further.

To be fair, the dentist was excellent. Very professional and took his time to speak to dd and myself about everything in detail. He had a good look at her teeth and said that she 'just' about qualifies for a brace under the NHS because one of her bottom teeth is out of line. Now, I'm worrying that she might not qualify as one pp has pointed out. Tbh, even this surprised me. Every time we have gone to the dentist, it's always been made out that she can have a brace if she wants and it's her choice etc depending on how things look when all milk teeth out etc. Perhaps, looking back I have been naive in thinking that having dental work on the NHS was a given. I am genuinely shocked in hearing some of these responses about having to go private to get children's teeth straight.

When I and my siblings needed braces 20+ years ago, it really was a given that the NHS would fund it. My brother and sister had a choice (both NHS) and I desperately needed them so no issues there. Hardly any wait times back either - oh I must be getting old! 🙄There are no NHS dentists where I currently live and I have to drive an hour away to my see the old dentist today as my DD is still an NHS patient there (I'm private).

It's great if you can afford private dentistry for your DC's, but it still comes back to the same thing that it's so damn wrong children having to wait for years to get their teeth straight because parents simply can't afford it. It really does irk me, but probably a sign of things to come...

DD is having braces next month. Luckily because she had already had some orthodontal work done pre covid to move 1 tooth forward ( but treatment was then paused to wait for baby teeth to fall out) she seems to have not needed to wait the 5 years we were told the list is currently! We have waited 6 months since dentist re-referred her. She is 14.

DS2 who is 12 is also being getting braces. He was referred as an urgent referral as one of his adult teeth is horizontal in his mouth so is being seen by the ortho at the hospital. Again that has been about 6 months.

even before covid it was strict on who qualified for a brace. I remember looking at the categories on line and being pleased DD was severe enough to qualify on the NHS!

My son got a brace at 18 on NHS and then had it on for 7 years! He felt like the oldest person with a brace, he yawned one day in 6th form and struggled to close his mouth, the day he went to the dentist an orthodontist was present and said they would do it as a NHS case as he had an unusual condition, he ended up having surgery in Sidcup (not his location but the orthadontist said he had to have the op with him to get it on the NHS ( but in the years before no dentist had identified his need for a brace at all.) changed his life though so I would still recommend having one at 19

For those of you who have been referred for NHS treatment, do you know what grade your DC was? DD is 'only' a grade 2 and her dentist said there would be no chance of NHS treatment, so we are going privately.

@TessoftheDubonnet is 12 late for braces?! I had mine when I was 17. My eldest ds will definitely need them but he’s nearly 11 and only lost 6 baby teeth so far.

Where I am they literally measure your kids teeth with a ruler. DD 2 after falling of a scooter and wrecking the front of her mouth we were straight to the top of the list, excellent treatment all through Covid etc. DC1 is nearly 17 and is hopefully getting braces in a month...... there's no way the treatment is going to be finished before they turn 18 and are an adult, I don't know if I have to start paying half way through, it could be thousands of pounds

It depends but my son was told it would have been in excess of 20k if he had it privately

I was told three year waiting list last week when I took my dd, she will be 15 by then and I don’t think she will want them!

My dd was referred on the NHS in 2017 at the age of 11, she finally got braces in December aged 16 and her teeth are a right pickle. We're in Derbyshire.

The American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) recommends scheduling a child's first orthodontist visit by age seven or at the first visible sign of malocclusion. Your child's teeth and jaw are still developing at this age, making some orthodontic issues — such as underbites or very crowded teeth — easier to address. Still, many orthodontic problems are best treated after all the permanent teeth have come in. An early appointment will help confirm your child does not need treatment or might need treatment in the future. If you need help determining whether or not to schedule an appointment, talk to your child's dentist. They can look at your child's mouth and even refer you to an orthodontist.

www.colgate.com/en-us/oral-health/early-orthodontics/what-is-the-best-age-for-braces

There's no orthodontist in our county. All referrals have to go to the next county. My daughter was accepted into the waitlist in 2019, when she was 11. We've been told that if she's still waiting ( which she may be) when she turns 18, she will still get it free. At least a 7 year wait. This has been totally normal for our county for ages.

We have a private dentist as there are no NHS ones in my area. They told my DC (age 9) nearly a year ago they would need a brace and would qualify on the NHS due to the mm overbite, or we could go private with them.

Can private dentists refer to NHS orthodontists?

No but you do have private growth that will pay out and I’m sure health care in the form of braces is given?