Advice on orthodontic work for 13 year old

[lolawasashowgirl]

Would appreciate your advice wise Mumsnetters. My 13 year old son needs orthodontic work and has been put on the NHS waiting list but it will take him years to get to the top of it. I’m worried that by the time he receives treatment he will be at a very self conscious age ie 15 or 16. We are lucky enough to be in the position to be able to afford to have it done privately now which would mean hopefully it would be done and dusted by 15 or 16. What would you do in our circumstances? 😃

How bad are his teeth?

DD couldn't close her mouth and had constant sores on her lips, she also needed a tooth to be exposed as uncomfortable growing the wrong way, so they assessed her within a couple of months. However, tgey asked her to wait 18 months as puberty is the best time for jaw realignment. If he's likely to need the latter or in discomfort, then I'd seriously paying private if really can. DD was grade 5 so worst case scenario, so uf he could need the work she had then it could take a lot of appointments - it was over three years for her.

Yeah just go private
although so many kids still have braces at that age

We were in that position, we went private. Also this allowed appointments later in the afternoon that DD could get to witjout missing school.

back in the dark ages when I was a teen needing braces, we were told they tried to get orthodontics sorted before kids entered their O level years - ie before the start of yr10 in todays nomenclature.

My Dentist had the foresight to put my kids on an NHS list 12-18 months before they were ready for work to be commenced – that way, once all the adult teeth were through, there was little delay. One child we ended up having to pay for as it was just outside the NHS criteria, the other we got for free.

if you very well off and the cost is insignificant to you then I would go private.
but if you can only just afford it, I think the money would be better of spent else where. He’s going to get them for free anyway and he will not be the only one with braces at 15/16.

They might say his jaw hasn't developed enough for whatever needs doing.

And once this work starts privately - and you don't know how long it could go on for - it could end up costing you a fortune.

What does he need doing? Your teeth have to be pretty bad these days to qualify for free orthodontics. My 13year old currently has a brace to fix her overbite. We were told it’s best to do this while she is still growing. So delaying work until she’s 15/16 wasn’t advised. If your son is similar, I would pay for private if you can afford it.

If you can afford it, go private. Our child qualified for NHS treatment as their teeth were overcrowded and all over the place but the waiting list was three years so they would have been 16 at least.
Paid £4500 for Invisalign. Took eight months, minimal discomfort, their teeth look amazing. Bear in mind they still gave to wear a retainer at night. Going private also meant we could have weekend appointments.

You could book a private consultation and see what needs doing and what your options are?

Lots of kids have braces at 15/16 because of the long nhs wait.

We were in exactly the same situation. So started private had a consultation, x rays etc . Booked first appointment for fitting. Before that private appointment, the NHS called to say we could now book. So we started NHS. Saved 3-4k.

Wasnt expecting it at all. But if that hadn’t have happened, we would have gone on with the private work. Not worth them getting worse, if you have the cash.

The dentist puts a child onto the orthodontist waiting list, but it's the orthodontist who actually decides if your child is eligible and meets the NHS guidelines to receive a brace. Being added to the list doesn't actually mean your child will be entitled to a brace on the NHS. So yes, it's entirely possible your child could be on the list for 2 years and then be told, sorry you don't meet the guidelines. Honestly, most children are still in braces at 15/16 and older these days, simply due to the waiting times. My son was 14 in October last year, had been on the list for 2 years and had his first orthodontic appointment in February. Thankfully, he is eligible on the NHS, and has his braces being fitted next week. It would cost us a fortune if we went private - retainer braces for a year on the top and bottom to sort his over-bite out. Then after a year a fixed brace on his top teeth for 18 months to straighten them (possibly bottom too, I can't remember!).

Thanks for all your responses everyone - as usual everyone is so helpful! The dentist said he would be eligible because of his bite. I remember how dreadfully self conscious I felt at 15/16 and what a difficult age it can be and feel like it would be kinder to him to pay for private work now to make life easier for him later on. I may be over thinking it though and think braces are a lot more common these days.

we went private but my daughter didn’t qualify for nhs. She had Damon clear braces (clear train tracks) and the orthodontist gave her an attachment for her phone to take scans of her mouth every two weeks. He then replied on the app to tell us when to go in for an adjustment. 15 months later, enviable teeth!

My dd 12 only waited a few months for nhs treatment. Didn't realise that wasn't the norm?