Getting my head around orthodontics for teens...

[cheeesenonion]

Railtrack braces on a teen on the bottom row to correct badly placed teeth, with rubber bands attached to the upper row to correct skeletal overbite - once the braces are on, how frequently does the child usually need to see the orthodontist to get everything tightened and checked and so on?

Do most people in the UK pay for this privately, or do most people get this sort of thing done by NHS? Are some areas in the UK better than others in relation to getting work done by NHS?

Any other advice you could give me? I am just trying to get my head round it all!

My son has been on the waiting list for just over 2 years, he has overcrowding and misplaced teeth which he's really self-conscious about, we were told wait time is approx. 3 years, he was gutted that he wouldn't be out of them by the time he's be due to start college, he wanted it out of the way. Unfortunately there is just no way I could afford the £3,000+ cost to go private or I would have done. He probably would have been on the list sooner had our dentist not gone private during covid, it took 2 years to find a practice taking on within reasonable travelling distance. We recently asked how far up the list we are but apparently they can't say, only the date you joined it and the overall approx. wait time.

@cheeesenonion I've had jaw surgery (top and bottom plus chin). You'll need to make a decision on whether your child wants the surgery or not in advance of treatment starting as the treatment will be different depending on the pathway chosen. Surgery will always achieve the more aesthetic outcome but good outcomes can be obtained without surgery. The orthodontist and maxillofacial surgeon will give you full details about all options.

I think alot of UK orthodontics involve teeth removal and pulling the jaw back which can cause a flattening affect to the face. This can change the DC's appearance and the is also a risk to posture I think. We stopped treatment because of this. There are other routes to take which cause less of an impact.

I had both jaws and my chin operated on in my early 20s as part of my orthodontic treatment. I had the headgear when I was about 12, but me being 12 meant I wasn't happy with having to wear it for the next few years, so I stopped treatment. I saw sense when I was about 17 and got re-referred, had to wait a few years to get to the top of the list though. It's possible I'd have avoided the surgery if I'd stuck with it, I don't know, but I don't regret it. What I found helpful was reading about other people's experiences of jaw surgery, so I had some idea what to expect in the following few weeks. Get your child to do some reading as it'll help them make a decision, and see what the orthodontist and surgeon recommend too. My mantra was to listen to the people who knew what they were talking about!