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Original poster

To be astounded that we have to pay for braces?!

256 replies

toothyname · 13/01/2011 14:38

(regular with name change!)

My step daughter has just gone to the orthodontics and has been told she needs braces but that NHS wont pay as it's cosmetic.. The cost is over £2000! Has anyone got any experience of this or succesfully challenged it..? Surely good teeth can't be the privilage of wealthy children..??

OP posts:
debbieb01 · 18/08/2011 00:10

I just want to say i live in Birmingham UK, my daughter who is now 13, got referred to the orthodontic in November 2009 because she needs braces, she has only just got her date for fitting nearly 21 months later, im pleased she is getting them, but it is such a long wait, the government only funds 400 hundred patients a year, but nearly 1000 would apply, these poor children have to wait far to long for treatment, i really think the waiting list needs looking at.

TheOriginalNutcracker · 18/08/2011 00:18

Dd2 was referred at ten and started treatment after a year but hers is quite a severe problem. She is having her top jaw widened, then her bottom jaw brought forward, and then will possibly have some teeth removed and finally a brace to get all of the teeth in the right place.

The brace she has now is to widen the jaw and has been made to fit around where she still has two adult teeth coming through.

Dd2 sees an NHS orthadontist at the local hospital.

Dd1 is 13 and was also referred last year and has just been given an appointment but for a private dentist. The letter says we may have to pay depending on the severity. Dd1's teeth are nowhere near as bad as dd2's.

Bewilderedmum · 18/08/2011 00:41

Ds1 13, is having orthodontic treatment with braces. he has some cross-over at the bottom, and slightly protruding front teeth at the top. I was really worrying about cost before he saw the orthodontist (a 2 month wait - which was fine).

They worked out his dental problems, x-ray, impressions and modelling, and scored them according to severity. This determines if they qualify for NHS treatment. I was lucky - he was just over the threshold for NHS treatment. So now he has fixed braces, bottom and top, and looks like metal mickey!

He also has wisdom teeth awaiting - and the intial consultation was done with Ds1 - then they called me in to discuss findings/treatment etc.. I had to smile to myself though - apart from the initial treatment plan, they do most of the treatment with the child, and the parent just pops in at the end to dscuss things if needed (unless there is a specific issue)

The waiting room is like a teenage drop in centre - loads of teenagers in school blazers with wonky teeth and stoic expressions acompanied by mothers with books saying "how was it?"

Ds1 isn't that bad - he just qualifies for NHS - but I can't fault the treatment so far...

DontGoCurly · 18/08/2011 01:08

You lot in the UK don't know you're born !!!

Free braces !! Free Doctors !! Free prescriptions !!

Come to Ireland and pay ?60 to see a GP, pay through the nose for medication and as for free braces HA !!!

It sounds like fantasy Island over there !!

As you were Grin

Goodynuff · 18/08/2011 02:24

Here in Canada we have to pay for our prescriptions, and all dental workSad
The only way around is if you are on social assistance, or if you have a great policy through work.
In the last three months, we have spent over 1000.00 on theeth for three people, and 230.00 on prescriptions

organicgardener · 18/08/2011 02:35

There's nothing free about the NHS ....(Lightbulb)

My Daughter got "Free" braces is this a postcode thing?

Morloth · 18/08/2011 04:31

Very little in free at point of use dental in Oz.

I haven't ever paid for the GP though, so I wonder if that is down to location?

Just assume you have to pay for everything all the time, then there are no nasty shocks.

I had some very expensive dental work done just before leaving UK. I hadn't even said anything to my current dentist when upon looking in my mouth he said 'Oh dear, you have been living in England haven't you?'. I thought the British teeth thing was just a joke, but apparently not. Luckily my health fund is picking up the repair job...

differentnameforthis · 18/08/2011 05:31

organicgardener

It isn't a post code thing. It is due to severity. It doesn't matter where you live, if the case isn't severe enough then you have to pay or go without.

Morloth

As far as I know, most GPs Australia-wide charge. Some charge all patients (ours up until recently) some charge only adults. Some bulk bill all patients. Some people have a health care card with entitles them to discounted or FOC treatment.

lobster123 · 25/03/2014 06:38

Sorry if this is really old thread discussion
just wanted to say had to challenge getting a brace for my 14 year old like a lot of kids it was just the one tooth at the front which was pertruding forwards hardest part was the refferal in the first place from dentist but went to our orthodontist app yesterday and was told he was eligable on the nhs wondering if its also a postcode thing?

Groovee · 25/03/2014 07:14

Lobster, my dd needs braces but its also been discovered that she needs her jaw realigned and we needed a consultant orthodontist report and our orthodontist said it would take about 12 weeks once she applied for funding to get an answer. She said the moulds showed how bad her teeth were but because she will need surgery once she has stopped growing she needs to apply for that funding too. She also needs surgery to remove a missing eye tooth which has manged to move itself to above her front teeth and if left there will damage the roots loosing those teeth too.

Dd is very complicated but I have been assured that she will receive full funding because of all the issues put together. Her moulds which were being sent off were quite horrific!

Ledkr · 25/03/2014 07:24

Yes I know of a few boob jobs too op, also lots of money now spent on gastric weight loss surgery and subsequent operations which I have no problem with but it is strange that a child cannot have their braces on nhs.
My dd is currently awaiting her first appointment, I'm almost certain they won't be free, I'm pretty sure I won't be able to afford thousands of pounds for them either, who can these days?

FourArms · 25/03/2014 07:39

'Apart from the children like my friend's daughters whose baby teeth had faulty enamel and many developed caries by the time they started losing them at 6. Their dental hygiene was very good yet the teeth still went bad. Nothing to do with sugar or brushing. The girls' permanent teeth are perfect.'

'Caries cannot occur without the presence of sugar, it is scientifically impossible. Hypoplastic enamel can be managed with a low sugar diet, although in this instance, caries is naturally harder to prevent.'

DS2's teeth developed pits in them within weeks of them appearing. Due to severe reflux his only food at that point was breast milk. He had 4 out aged 4 and we're going for our first orthodontist appointment shortly :(

LAlady · 25/03/2014 07:58

DS has just finished his orthodontic treatment (braces removed, perfect smile!). We had to pay. Our orthodontist showed us photos of what would be covered by the NHS and he clearly didn't fall under that. What was covered must only apply to a minimal number of people.

We paid in monthly instalments. Now DD is being seen, so it's probably all going to start again as don't think the NHS will find it.

Sallystyle · 25/03/2014 08:05

My son got them for free. I really assumed that every child did.

There was never any talk about having to pay.

Theycallmestacy · 25/03/2014 08:06

We have been told the same, dd has gaps between all of her teeth, pretty wide ones.

The dentist has always said she will need braces, now she is of an age to have them done he has told us the the funding has changed and we will have to pay.

We were saving for her to go skiing with school, so are using this. Its a lot of money to us by the way, we have been saving £2 coins since she started HS to fund the trip in Y9. Needs must though.

Sallystyle · 25/03/2014 08:08

Oh zombie thread.

JT05 · 25/03/2014 09:24

Children's braces should be on the NHS. They did not ask or do anything to have wonky teeth. My DS had v. Uneven teeth, he had treatment at the orthodontist from the age of 7 to 18. He was driving himself to the last appointments! We started paying, but the condition was so severe that the dentist applied for funding. He has beautiful teeth now, but it would have severely affected him had he not had the treatment. People who have bariatric surgery, have chosen to get to the size they are. Yet that's free!

tiggytape · 25/03/2014 09:35

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

17leftfeet · 25/03/2014 09:50

Dd1 needs braces as her canines are badly misaligned and it affects the shape of her face

Not covered by the NHS and I cannot afford it, I'm prioritising keeping a roof over our heads
I have exactly the same issue and never had braces due to a dental phobia and I rarely smile -I didn't want the same for her and I feel terrible

Dd2 is border line for NHS funding but as she's only 10 the dentist wants to leave it 18 months to see how she grows, she had protruding front teeth

All of their cousins had braces on the NHS and I feel really down that I can't provide them Sad

LovelyJubblies · 25/03/2014 10:18

My 14 year old ds is currently wearing braces. He got the treatment on the NHS.
His bottom teeth are ok but his top teeth were very crowded and he needed them re-a lined (sp?!)
He goes every 10 weeks for a check up.
We're in Huntingon.

GobbySadcase · 25/03/2014 10:23

DS1 is eligible but his teeth stick out so far his lips won't cover them.

satintaupe · 25/03/2014 10:33

I'm mid thirties and have braces on the NHS. It's down to severity; one of my teeth stuck out a lot - they measured it and as it was over so many mm I was eligible for NHS treatment. They also said I needed jaw surgery but I know people who have had this and have been unhappy with the result (it changed the shape of their face - I am happy with mine) so they are doing my treatment without. I'd been quoted £5000 by my old dentist but my new dentist referred me to an nhs orthodontist (thank goodness, there's no way I could afford that!). I had braces as a child and did everything by the book but my teeth moved once my wisdom teeth came through.

ICanSeeTheSun · 25/03/2014 10:56

Best get saving, ds had perfect teeth as a baby but his teeth look awful now his adult teeth has come through

QueenofallIsee · 25/03/2014 11:26

We didn't have to pay for DD's braces - she had milk teeth with no 'big' teeth so those came out and and the braces went on. If it had been for aesthetic reasons only then the NHS would not have paid.

I know that its rubbish but you can see why - the NHS has to have some limits and your DD can eat, talk, use her mouth for what it is intended and thus it is cosmetic, to buy into societal norms

And yes, DS2 will 'need' them for cosmetic reasons and I will have to pay.

laregina · 25/03/2014 11:31

YANBU.

I think myself very lucky that the only one of my DC who needed braces had them before the changes came into force. My DC's case would have been considered 'cosmetic' apparently, but they were certainly 'bad' enough that they could have given him confidence issues....