DD told she can’t have NHS orthodontist treatment

[Readysteadife]

Was seen for an assessment about 2 years ago by the orthodontist. She was told she qualifies for NHS treatment .

Roll forward 2 years and yesterday she was told her teeth have improved and they are unable to offer NHS treatment . The teeth have “improved “ by 1mm and apparently that’s not on the parameters for NHS treatment.

Has anyone else experienced this ? I can’t help but think If it wasn’t for COVID she would have them . They said I can pay £2500 for them!

I am going back to the Orthodontist clinic next week to be seen by another Orthodontist as I wanted a second opinion . Should I get a independent opinion too ?

The NHS will deem it ‘cosmetic’, conveniently ignoring the deeply negative and long-lasting psychological and emotional impact such things can have. Not surprising, given the resources devoted to mental health, I guess. It’s shit but all part of the underfunding and organisational problems.

I feel so lucky ds got braces, the orthodontist said he was borderline, whatever that means and said it was up to him if he wanted them. Fortunately every other kids has them here so he said yes.

I think that's really crap OP. Anyway you could afford it paying it monthly, they all do payment plans?

NHS is a mess. Find the money if you can. You won't regret it.

NHS in my area has 0 orthodontists. They have to pay private practices to see their patients. My DD waited 2 years, I gave up. She's getting braces next month.

‘just cosmetic’ can have a devastating effect on mental health

If they don't fit the IOTN criteria it's tough unfortunately.

@Totallydefeated

‘just cosmetic’ can have a devastating effect on mental health

Totally agree. People can be cripplingly self conscious about wonky teeth. NHS dentistry and orthodontics are a mess.

This happened to us too, it’s a bit frustrating as all of her friends have qualified and get it for free (and tbh I couldn’t see much difference between theirs and hers).

I offered to pay privately but dd didn’t want to, I think she was worried about the money. I’ve always been paranoid about my teeth and didn’t want her to feel the same.

This was pre covid, so it probably isn’t because of this.

Same. I paid. Set price 2.2k which seems relatively reasonable.

If it matters and you can afford it then definitely go for it
Unfortunately there will always be an arbitrary figure which decides a yes or no

I'd argue that if your appearance is damaging your MH, it's the MH that needs treating not the appearance, but if you're going to argue that dissatisfaction with your appearance should be treated on the NHS to protect MH, what other cosmetic treatments are you going to pay for? Where's the line?

It would be lovely if everyone could have everything they want, but ATM people can't see a GP!

Would probably be fairer if everyone paid a lesser amount, especially those who are purely for cosmetic not structural.

We are also paying 2.5k for dd. She would qualify if we went through the NHS but would be waiting until at least 2025.

We've had to go private and it's not a cosmetic issue. The waiting list is massive due to Covid. Forked out and he's now 6 months into treatment and it's already working. Well worth it. Haven't been on holiday so using that money for it.

When I was a teenager I moved to England after a short stint of living abroad. I had braces on my teeth, I had quite a few adult teeth that were missing so the baby ones had to be pulled and the rest moved forward.

The NHS rejected to treat me because my teeth didn’t meet the requirement, presumably because I was half way through treatment Thankfully my parents appealed and they treated me in the end. They really do seem to make it up as they go along.

I don’t think people realise that the majority of braces now are actually paid for privately, it’s completely different from when I was a kid. And you can see the difference in people’s teeth

"Just cosmetic" is so disparaging and minimising. My 9 year old dd is starting treatment next month for overcrowding and missing adult teeth (not there underneath her gums). The orthodontist has said he'll be seeing us until she's about 15! It's going to be a long and painful road for her but it's totally necessary to avoid huge problems as she grows up.

@elbea

When I was a teenager I moved to England after a short stint of living abroad. I had braces on my teeth, I had quite a few adult teeth that were missing so the baby ones had to be pulled and the rest moved forward.

The NHS rejected to treat me because my teeth didn’t meet the requirement, presumably because I was half way through treatment Thankfully my parents appealed and they treated me in the end. They really do seem to make it up as they go along.

They don’t make it up as they go along. There are very very clear guidelines - the IOTN

Sorry but if the treatment needed is purely cosmetic then you should be paying for it yourselves. The NHS isn't there too make people look pretty, it's the health service and it's currently on its knees.

I think the criteria have changed loads- when I was a teenager in the 90s, all but 2 of us in our friendship group of about 9 had braces at some point, and of the 2 who didn't, at least one of them was offered braces but declined. Fast forward to now and my DC has very snaggly teeth (lateral incisors according to Google) and general overcrowding and was told they are a borderline case. DC was even bullied for the state of their teeth so they are definitely noticeable to non-professionals. Ortho said they only accept more severe cases now and that DC was accepted not as a cosmetic case but because it would make maintaining hygiene difficult if left untreated.

They even had a little chart in the surgery of what is / is not covered by NHS treatments as assume they get a lot of people querying why they have been turned away.

Unfortunately the guidelines have become tighter, and orthodontists are getting pulled up on it. The truth is there's barely enough commissioning to deal with he kids that do meet the criteria, let alone those who are borderline. Your best bet might be to beg your dentist to refer you to another practice who might look at it differently.

My DD has two retained baby teeth at the top/side view but near the front, they are slightly loose and she has had a few problems including a chip that needed filling. Ideally they need to come out, and braces to close the gaps which will be visible as near the front, but as it’s cosmetic I would have to pay, which I just cannot afford as a single parent. Yes it might be cosmetic, but two very obvious gaps at the front to a 17 year old is devastating, so she will probably be I her early 20s by the time I have saved up

@pianolessons1

It's cosmetic. The NHS is in a mess.

No such thing

Has anyone tried the clear dental aligners that are often advertised online? Apparently they are cheaper, have quicker results and are virtually invisible (that’s what the adverts say anyway). Just a thought if you are going to have to go private.

My DD had a baby tooth removed and fixed braces prior to having an implant, on the NHS.
In the time it took to get the teeth straight for the implant, they stopped doing implants on the NHS.

Same thing is happening to us - we have just been told that as dd has no filings and perfect teeth, other than a tooth needing pulled down and fitted in that she is unlikely to grade high enough on a scale that qualifies for NHS treatment. I asked if she had fillings and holes would she grade higher, they said yes, that the system is very unfair.