New to Scotland - kid needs Braces, what do I do?

[ArnoldBoo]

Hello,
I'm Scottish but I was living somewhere else for years and only recently came back here with my kids, so I don't really know how anything works.

My 12 year old needs Braces. Ideally he would like Invisilign as he plays an instrument and we think this would be less painful. I would like to hear what all the options are, as I know Invisilign is the expensive brand.

I really need the absolute beginners guide to sorting this out - do I just call the orthadontist first or go through a dentist? Any help will be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Is it cosmetic or clinical?

Referrals usually go through a dentist, but if you're going the NHS route there'll be a long wait and he won't get Invisalign. If he has his heart set on them you would need to pay, but you should be able to contact a private orthodontist for a consultation.

Have you registered with a dentist? Your child will be entitled to NHS treatment but that wouldn’t cover specifically Invisalign - do you know for sure that this would be the appropriate treatment anyway?

Your dentist can refer you but I think you can also self refer, we did this. Treatment came through quite quickly but that has probably all changed with covid.

Depending on severity you may get treatment for free. As a pp said Invisalign won't be covered. Standard NHS braces would save you a lot of money if your DC qualifies.

Our dentist referred DD and initial treatment was quick but follow-up appointments a bit variable which lengthened time in braces. However end result really really good (better than friend who went private).

She played a brass instrument with standard NHS braces. Had to adjust a bit for a few weeks but coped fine .

Our dentist referred Dd and Ds. They both got NHS funding.

Privately we could have gone to the same orthodontist in their private clinic.

When you say "lived elsewhere" was it outside the UK? Just wondering if you're eligible for NHS care or not, as that depends how long you've been in the UK.

We were referred through our NHS dentist. The orthodontist took some measurements etc. but he didn’t meet the criteria for NHS treatment (it was mainly cosmetic). We went private for a small fortune!

Thanks for all the responses - so the first thing to do is find a dentist to register with, and ask from there. We did pay Nat Insurance while living elsewhere so we are up to date with NHS. It is cosmetic I think, but I don't know.
@ClerkMaxwell how much playing did your DD do per day?
Thanks so much for all your help

DS got referred by dentist right ahead of lockdown last year and got his appointment for orthodontist through for the start of Feb, so nearly 11 months later. They said he should be eligible for funding but they'll need to apply, they obviously reckoned that despite it being cosmetic he should qualify. His next appointment for getting measured isn't till April. This is west Scotland/Glasgow if that helps in terms of NHS timelines...

My daughter also managed 3 years of playing a woodwind instrument with train tracks so it’s definitely doable. She got to grade 8 so a good standard.

DD played at most 20 minutes a day 4-5 times a week maybe a bit more when she had band practise. She had been playing for a couple of years before the braces which probably helped.

You won't get funding if it's just cosmetic, I'm afraid.

I have two DCs who had had braces - one free of charge, one paid for.

The FOC one had a front tooth at a 180 degree angle and very buck teeth.

The one I paid for had a reasonably bad over bite and slightly wonky teeth but they weren't severe enough for funding. I had to pay £3k to fix these.

Thanks, its overcrowding and an overbite but its looking then like this is cosmetic. I will ask for funding, but not hold my breath!

Where are you, if around Stirling everyone that I know has used Central Orthdontics, they have a practice in Falkirk as well. You can self refer and they will tell you the likelihood of qualifying for NHS treatment.

If the rules are the same for the whole of the UK (which would be my understanding) paying voluntary NI contributions while living abroad doesn't make you "up to date with the NHS" it's much more complicated than that but now you are back (and planning to stay for at least 6 months) you are fully entitled to NHS services.

On the Invisalign front has DS ever worn a gum shield or had a mould used at a dentist? When I had fixed braces removed and had to wear a retainer I realised I could never have had Invisalign as retainers make me gag. They also have to be removed to eat which makes them more likely to get lost or damaged.

Google the grading system, cosmetic you'll have to pay and you'll certainly have to pay for Invisalign either way

It's not cheap.My DS's fixed appliances cost £2,900 back in 2014! You could pay by monthly instalment though.

My son is having treatment with fixed appliances at Central Orthodontics in Stirling and the cost is around £2200.
His top teeth had largish gaps between them and he had a slight overbite. He only just missed out on NHS funding so it’s worth trying for it.