Can I get braces on the NHS? How much is it to get it done private??!


Question: Im 25 but i get free dental treatment as i have a young son. My mum never took us to the dentist as kids so ive never had braces and although my teeth arent a major problem 2 teeth are abit crooked at the top and i have abit of an overbite. Ive always wanted a brace or retainer or something to fix this. Can i get that done for free or would i have to go private to get it done. And also does anyone know roughly what that would cost (i know it varies) Also can you get braces that arent really that noticeable?? Thanks x


Answers: Im 25 but i get free dental treatment as i have a young son. My mum never took us to the dentist as kids so ive never had braces and although my teeth arent a major problem 2 teeth are abit crooked at the top and i have abit of an overbite. Ive always wanted a brace or retainer or something to fix this. Can i get that done for free or would i have to go private to get it done. And also does anyone know roughly what that would cost (i know it varies) Also can you get braces that arent really that noticeable?? Thanks x

Yes you will get free orthodontic treatment for an overbite if your dentist refers you to the dental hospital that's if he or she doesn't specialize in orthodontics, I'm 28 with a young daughter and started my treatment at 27 as my top and bottom teeth met on top of each other so its been quite difficult to get my top teeth over my bottom but I'm nearly there and its much more comfortable as it caused me discomfort, i started off with a removable brace then went onto a fixed one unfortunately there noticeable but to be honest its been a talking point with the guys so I'm not complaining! you can get braces on the back of the teeth but not free and not on the nhs! i wouldn't bother going down that route if i were you there not that bad, there is usually a waiting list for nhs dental treatment for braces about 1 year upwards i waited about 6 months as i agreed to be seen by students but it hasn't been a problem as they always have to get it checked when doing anything.

your dentist has to refer you to the dental hospital so you will have to make him or her aware of the fact you are unhappy with your teeth and you would like them put right, i hope you get sorted!

If you have an overbite and disfigured teeth then get your dentist to refer you to an orthodontist who will then advise you of what is possible. The teeth can be corrected using a brace but the overbite would need an operation if it is that bad. You can go private but it is very expensive. Once the brace is in you will get used to it and it's not worth paying a lot extra for the 'transparent' type. The NHS might fit one but only if you pay for it.

depends how loose your trousers are hehehehe

Dental care is paid for by the NHS up until you're 18 provided you are on a college course. As you don't qualify, you will have to pay.

Orthodontic treatment is not available on the NHS once you are over the age of 18, and in some cases even children have been refused free ortho treatment as they were not extreme/severe enough cases to warrant nhs treatment!
You'd need to see your regular dentist, he/she will do a routine check up and will be able to tell you if indeed you would be a good candidate for ortho treatment.
If this is the case a referral letter will be sent to the orthodontist and an appointment will be made for you, only then will you find out if you actually need braces and if your case is severe enough to be eligible for nhs treatment, if they feel it's not, they put cases such as this under cosmetic and sadly the nhs wont fund such treatment!

Unlike a previous answer has said, NHS braces are available free for over 18's under cerain circumstances. My son of 24 has just had fixed braces fitted top and bottom on the NHS and at no cost to him. In around 18 months he will have surgery on his jaw to correct his noticable overbite. His dentist referred him to the local hospital for treatment. Having said that the guidelines as to who qualifies for NHS orthodontic treament has changed. There now has to be a significant misalignment of the teeth, rather than just crooked teeth, for any treatment to be authorised by the NHS. When I say significant misalignment, I mean 4 mm or more. This means that around 7,000 patients a month that would have been given treatment on the NHS a year ago are now being denied it. The cost of private treatment can be



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