Told DS does not qualify for NHS braces today!!

[Milliways]

He lost a front tooth as a toddler so had crowded teeth from age 3.

At age 8/9 he broke BOTH permanent front teeth in a playground incident.

He has crowded teeth and 2 mainly artificial, overlapping front teeth that the dentist says not worth crowning/veneering until they have been straightened. He has been seeing an Orthodontist for years, keep being referred back until lost more milk teeth.

Finally been told he is not grim looking enough and we have to pay out c£1850 to get them straightened!!

We have no choice, until they are straight he has to cope with temporary filling front teeth never looking perfect and constantly poppoing off.

GGrrrrrrrr......

Ouch for you. Do they do an interest free loan?

You can pay in instalments or get a 5% reduction if pay up front.

Wouldn't be soooo bad if DH hadn't lost his job a few months back! We have the money but not much coming in, so reserves going.

Are you sure about this? I have 2 DSs with NHS orthodontist work, neither as bad as your DS and it was all free. Perhaps this is new and we are just lucky as DS2 is on the final few months. We didn't have to fill in any forms.

dd1 has an underdevleoped upper jaw which means her front teeth close behind her bottom teeth. If left untreated it is likely that the only cure is to brake and reset her jaw when she is older, so I am paying to have expansion work done in the hope that it helps. Again this should have been started urgently when she was first referred 20 months ago. I am fuming!!!!!!

Fortunately everthing apart from the expansion work will be on the NHS, we were quoted 6.5k to have it all done privately

Surely if he has been seeing an orthodontist for years the new rules shouldn't apply to him? Grounds for appeal anyway I'd have thought.

DD had hers done on the NHS.

They have to measure the displacement of the teeth. Only if >4mm is NHS agreed. If 2-4mm (DS)then you have to compare his teeth to a chart of horrors, and unless ghastly you don't qualify.

His teeth are crowded, 2 are prominent (but not 4mm at the root (not the base, measured at gum line) and no account of broken teeth, or overlapping front teeth unless extreme

I would appeal on those grounds.

I'm suprised to hear this. (just to show you how suprised I am)

Our dentist has been telling us for a while DS1 will need braces for his under-bite. I'd always presumed they'd be free. DH and I decided today he wouldn't have a brace, as his teeth are pefectly straight, it's just that his jaw sticks out a tiny bit.

We have had all check-ups on NHS, but you have to wait until ready for braces before they take imnpressions to send off for funding to be agreed.

Talking at work, a lot have been caught out with these new rules.

We have had all check-ups on NHS, but you have to wait until ready for braces before they take imnpressions to send off for funding to be agreed.

Talking at work, a lot have been caught out with these new rules.

Oops!

Under/Overbite is probably different rules.

My kids all had milk teeth extracted, to make more space earlier on, under the NHS.

The fact that he has seen an ortho for years is irrelevant. It is only when a proposed treatment plan is devised that approval for funding can be applied for. Since the 2006 reforms to the nhs dental system came in to play free/cheap dentistry in this country has been going down the pan.

we saw an orthodontist for the 1st time recently, with dd13

our own dentist referred us with slight overcrowding on the bottom and misaligned teeth on the top row with one "fang" sticking out a bit

tbh, we (and she) weren't that bovvered about it

I was quite prepared to say "no" to braces if we didn't qualify for free treatment. However, it just wasn't an issue and she will get them free (I made a point of asking directly)

weird huh, cos I don't think they are that bad and wouldn't have pushed for it at all

can you appeal, OP ?

details here

There is no opportuntiy to appeal either I'm afraid. Yopu can go see another dentist/orthodontist but the end results will be the same. If he doesn't fit the criteria he won't get free ortho treatment.

I suppose I will then have to pay for Veneers or Crowns?

Whatever, we have promised him we will sort his teeth as he gets upset when the temp teeth give up & pop out.

ohhhh, doesn't seem fair

I wanted to clarify the reason why I'm fuming is not actually because I have to pay for the expansion work it's because that the orthodontist said it needed doing but to wait until she was older. Skeletal expansion which is what she desperately needs should be completed around the age of 12 otherwise the bones are fused, tooth expansion is not going to solve the jaw problen she has.

Left untreated my dd will end probably end up tbh very unattractive looking she already has cross bite!

No.
Maybe your daughters "fang" was over 4mm displaced? Only need 1. TBH our Orthodontist was very kind, he did try and we have waited to see how his teeth come through.

We will be happy to keep seeing him as he is known and trusted.