Dental brace waiting list

[MadKittensIvyLoki]

Dd14 was referred for dental braces just short of a year ago.
She's extremely self conscious of her teeth and she has been very upset over the past 6 months about it. It's got worse recently as she's frustrated that it hasn't happened yet when several of her friends have been referred at similar times and have already started their treatment. I've rung the dentist but they can't tell me anymore.
Is this normal for it to be such a long wait?

It seems to vary from place to place. Our dentist estimated 3 years so we went private - my son got them on withing 2 weeks. We paid 3k but this was 2 years ago, might be more now.

DD16 in August had literally lay week reached the top of a 4 year waiting list.

I think lengths can vary from practice to practice.

It depends also on how bad her teeth actually are, at 15, we were told 3/4 year wait, they were bad enough to be accepted for NHS braces but there were worse cases which would come first. We opted for private and had them on within weeks at the same dentist, £3500, there is an option to pay a deposit then monthly installments. DD was extremely self conscious about her teeth and her treatment will take about 18 months.

Sadly there's less orthodontists about these days so the lists are long. We waited 3 years (pandemic shut local one and now have to travel to next county for the work to be done). She's just finishing treatment at almost 19 now...luckily if the work starts before they have to pay it's still free under nhs.

Hi op mine waited about the same amount of time and the dentist said time to be assessed could be another year so we went private. My ds is 14 and it affects his confidence/smile/speech and eating so we didn't want to wait any longer. Ds will be having the traditional metal braces after 4 teeth are removed estimated to take about 1 year. Cost is £5,500. We paid a large deposit and the rest will be paid monthly over 2 years.

A lot of parents I have spoken to have done the same as the criteria is very strict and the wait is so long.

We waited 3 years.

We waited about 18 months and he's just started treatment. Will be a 2 year journey at least they are quite bad

Eldest waited 18 months 5 years ago.
Next child just been told will need braces but orthodontist has closed their lists so not sure what's going to happen there.

we were told 3-5 years waiting list at the moment and we are in south wales.

However DD had previously been with the orthodontist for a plate brace a couple of years previously so I think she was already in the system and treatment had just been paused whilst her baby teeth came out so she had braces fitted within a couple of months of re-referral. She is 15 and has has the braces on for about a year.

DS2 was also referred but was treated as an urgent referral as one of his adult teeth is horizontal in his gum so treatment needed to be done sooner rather than later as it would cause problems. He had 4 months between scan at the hospital and having braces fitted. He is 13 and had the braces on a couple of weeks ago.