Call all dentists for braces advice please!

[applejack18]

My 11year old DD qualifies for NHS braces. Overcrowded upper jaw and overbite.
The NHS waiting list is 3 years. I can afford private so could start treatment now.

Here's my query: My DD is not very mature and complains easily. She's emotionally very up and down, and I'm still wondering if it's personality or puberty.

Do you think I should wait until she is more settled and has the emotional maturity to deal with the journey/discomfort of braces or start the treatment now?
Is there a big advantage to start at a younger age in terms of the results of treatment?

Thanks in advance 🙂

Dentist here. Does she want the braces at the moment? In my experience children get on better with braces; tolerating them, cleaning well etc when they want straight teeth.
If she waits on the NHS she'll still only be 14 when she starts although if she'll be year 10 by then appointments might be more problematic with GCSEs.
Age wise there are benefits with overjets for early intervention but no real benefits that I'm aware of between 11-14.
I'd be tempted to wait another year for her to mature a little emotionally and maybe other friends to also have braces (if they don't already) you can start the private process at any point.

Thank you @MillyMollyMardy

Not a dentist but I mum of four children who’ve needed braces. Definitely wait. It won’t do any harm and it will be easier for her to deal with.

My Dd was the same at 11 but had to wait for her ?second molars to come through. She's 15 now and just got her braces. She needs at least 4 teeth removed because she's so overcrowded. The wait was 3 years from once those second molars were through.

Thanks so much for your replies.

Another question if you don't mind!

I know it's been done to death - do fixed braces have better outcomes than invisalign ?
My orthodontist says its the same results (as long as they follow the rules for either), but I feel they're also being salesy since it's a business operation (fair enough).

I understand there might be more discomfort with fixed braces, but the faff of invisalign looks annoying too!

My daughters getting braces in jan and she has just turned 14, I would say that's a better age for it than 11 , she really wants her teeth to be straight and needs extractions and I can also trust her better to look after them.

And also wow 3 years wait time! It's 9-12 months here and I thought that was a long wait

And also for your second question I would definitely choose fixed braces over Invisalign just because as you say less faff and more compliance especially for a child- I had removable type braces as a teen and never wore them enough and then had to have a fixed brace in my early twenties.

6 months wait here. My son has been assessed and will get them but needs to grow a bit and as some teeth need to come through more before the braces can be fitted. So next assessment in 6 months. Older child waited around 6 months also post covid. Area dependent I think.