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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask exh for contribution for braces

53 replies

StrongerThanIThought76 · 26/10/2016 11:06

Ds needs braces. NHS approved treatment so not just for cosmetic purposes. NHS waiting time (as not priority) is upwards of 2 years from initial consultation to first having braces fitted so could be 4 years plus before he is done.

Private costs are £2500ish. Exh has never contributed a penny over the CSA rate, I've struggled to provide for the kids and have juggled finances to accommodate most expenses but this is beyond my budget.

Should I (or how could i) ask the ex for some help with this?

OP posts:
TrickyD · 26/10/2016 13:51

Isn't 13 quite old to be starting treatment? Was the problem not noticeable earlier or did you have to wait for second teeth to develop? I am interested in all things orthodontic as 11 year ago old DGD has just acquired her brace.

UsernameHistory · 26/10/2016 13:52

^^Not clear.

Meant to say my first and current husband and I would be against...

Original poster
StrongerThanIThought76 · 26/10/2016 14:05

£2500 ÷ 2 years = £1250 per year
£1250 per year = £100 per month
£100 per month ÷ 2 parents = £50 each
£50 each.... oh yeah, £12 a week.

Apologies

OP posts:
DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 26/10/2016 14:17

13 isn't old to start, it seems to be 12or 13 here unless the issue is really bad, I know one child who started at 8 and finished at 13 ,poor little thing.

I don't really understand the rush OP, get it on the NHS ,it might even be sooner if you're lucky. Put the money towards uni fees!

RayofSun · 26/10/2016 14:18

The wait times vary massively from area to area. Am an orthodontist myself and we had a 3.5 year wait at one point. Now it's 9 months. Despite PP comments, it's not a spin to make money privately but it's offering patients all options available to them so they can make their own judgements. It appears we are damned if we do and damned if we don't Wink

You might find that another local practice may have a shorter wait but you need to be willing to commit to going there every 6-8 weeks for the next two years and allow for all the time off school/ work that it may entail. We often offer our patients the option to go somewhere with a short wait but the majority don't want the additional inconvenience. Ask your dentist (who I assume referred you) and see what they say?!

AuntMabel · 26/10/2016 14:23

I would wait. I couldn't afford to go private when DD was referred for NHS funded braces age 12 (nearly 13) and was told it would be a 18-24 month wait until she'd be seen. She was seen within 12 months.

At her fitting a month later she was advised her braces would be on for 12-18 months, they've come off after just 10. Perfect teeth and all done and dusted age 14 long before we were advised she would be.

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 26/10/2016 14:26

Oh and factor in going more than every 6-8 weeks, ds's braces always needed adjusting, seemed like we were there every month! I don't know if that affects the over all price or if it's a set price.

elodie2000 · 26/10/2016 19:20

DD has wonky teeth. She was assessed at 12 and the form was sent off for NHS braces. She didn't qualify Shock I couldn't believe it as not only are they out of line but obviously growing in different directions.
I want to go private but was told that she couldn't until she was 16 +

Does anyone know the facts? I don't know why we can't pay for them now.

sofatrainer · 26/10/2016 21:20

elodie I can't believe you can't pay for them. We paid for DS privately as we didn't want to wait. He got them at 12 and was finished at 13. His teeth look amazing and I'm so happy it's over and done with

Lunar1 · 26/10/2016 21:24

I had my braces at 11 and done by 13. If my children need them they will have them as early as possible. Studying for exams while having braces adjusted is not my idea of fun. I would be asking him to pay half.

grannytomine · 26/10/2016 21:28

ConkerTriumphant

Just thinking about the maths, £2,500 paid over 2 years has got to be roughtly £100 a month, where does the £6 come from?

No, £2,500 over roughly 100 months (2 years) is £25 a month - hence the £6 per week.

Not sure how that would work, I know I went to school a long long time ago but back then there were 12 months in a year, 24 months in 2 years so £2,500 over 24 months would be just over £100 per month, if no interest charged (I don't know if this sort of thing has interest added)

Are you getting months and weeks mixed up?

ChippyMinton · 26/10/2016 21:32

I don't think timing is a big deal - some DC aren't even ready for braces until they are older (and have lost all their baby teeth).

user1472419718 · 26/10/2016 21:33

Earlier isn't always better.

I had NHS orthodontic work from the ages of 13-15, followed by a retainer (which I wore religiously) up to the age of 18. Result: Lovely straight teeth.

Then when I was 19 my wisdom teeth came through and pushed all my teeth out of position again! If I could afford it I would have more work done to re straighten them, which I assume would be private as it is purely cosmetic.

pastizzi · 26/10/2016 21:37

We're paying for dd's braces (didn't qualify on the NHS), it's £150 per month for 18 months. It's much more than we would have liked to pay but dh and I have awful teeth and both wish more than anything that we'd had braces.

Very very few qualify for NHS treatment these days and we were told the waiting list was 2 years absolute minimum anyhow.

Btw 13 is not old at all! Dd could only start at 12 as she had to wait until she lost all her baby teeth

elodie2000 · 26/10/2016 21:37

sofatrainer I don't know either! I get that there is a waiting list/ NHS criteria etc. but DD's teeth are not good and she doesn't 'qualify' for NHS apparently... Every year 8 student I teach seems to have braces so I don't understand! Grin

Our dentist is private, not NHS. As for paying for them, apparently she needs to wait until she has an 'adult' jaw. 16-18. She has had all her massive adult teeth since she was 8/9!
I think we need a new dentist!!

228agreenend · 26/10/2016 21:39

You can ask but he would probably say no if it's available on the nhs. That's a lot of money.

So many kids have braces nowadays, that it's not a big deal among teens nowadays.

DarklyDreamingDexter · 26/10/2016 21:40

Every other kid in my son's class has braces or has had braces in the past. Same with my daughter. Having braces isn't an issue for teens these days because it's the norm. I'd wait for the NHS treatment, which will cover everything. With private treatment you'll be putting your hands in your pocket for years for follow ups.

MariposaUno · 26/10/2016 21:41

I am having private braces done I went to a private clinic and it was bog standard at least 2500 for train tracks before they even took an xray, went to NHS run dentist with a anorthodontist and was quoted less than 1100 for braces that go behind the teeth.

It's worth shopping around if you want to go private and with NHS clinics the xray are NHS funded.

From both private and NHS they want 1/3 payed up front then variable monthly payments until treatment is over.

I would wait for NHS treatment or asothers advised see about waiting lists in other areas.

Mumofttwins · 26/10/2016 21:45

My DD has got a retainer on currently. Her teeth were awful before her braces.

She only had them fitted when she was 14, as her mouth just wasn't ready.

They were on about 12 months in total.

I hadn't realised that some areas cant even get funding!

I'd be interested to hear about the braces behind the teeth if you'd be happy to message me.

Coconut0il · 26/10/2016 21:50

I started a thread not too long ago asking for advice about DS1 and braces. He doesn't qualify for NHS treatment and the general consensus was the £1800 we were quoted was quite reasonable. DS is 13 now and we're hoping to start treatment soon. If the NHS route was available to us I would wait.

CalleighDoodle · 26/10/2016 21:58

Did you get a response op? Id assume he would suggest knocking it off your csa payment.

SquinkiesRule · 26/10/2016 22:16

My Dd is on the waiting list, it'll be two years she's 11 now so will be 13 when she gets seen. So unless a new orthodontic office opens by us that also take NHS she'll have to wait.

Original poster
StrongerThanIThought76 · 27/10/2016 11:23

Not heard anything from the ex. NOR do I expect to tbh.

My son is quite petite compared ro some of his peers. With that in mind I think I'm fairly happy to wait for him to grow a bit if it means a better result.

Our dentist is NHS but we were referred to a private orthodontist as they don't do braces at our dentists.

£100 per month would be a huge chunk of our budget - if I was to go for private treatment with no support from the ex it really would mean making some drastic cutbacks.

OP posts:
Mumofttwins · 27/10/2016 12:41

To be honest, because your DS has had the OK from your area, I'd be inclined to let him wait.

From referral to getting her braces, my DD waited about 5 years. Her mouth/teeth just wasn't ready for them.

Northumberlandlass · 27/10/2016 12:45

Ask your dentist to refer you to another orthodontist.
DS needs braces and my NHS dentist told me that he could chose where to refer him, they are aware of waiting times. I live in a very middle class town and the wait is over 2 years, about 20 miles from me is a totally different area, quite run down, the waiting time for orthodontist there is 6 months.
Don't flame me for this comment - it's from the dentist, it's a sorry state of affairs though!

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