Teeth straightening/Braces on NHS?

Toothsmith

Then it's probably because in Scotland, with all the Tabs, Irn Bru, and deep fried Mars Bars, there's not enough people with enough teeth to keep orthodontists busy, and they grab their opportunities when they can

poppyolivia

Toothsmith wrote: »

Then it's probably because in Scotland, with all the Tabs, Irn Bru, and deep fried Mars Bars, there's not enough people with enough teeth to keep orthodontists busy, and they grab their opportunities when they can

thats hilarious!!:rotfl:

I'm in bonny Scotland too xx

Buster_Danog

Just my two cents for anyone who reads this thread. I found it extremely difficult to get a dentist who would refer me, and was at one staged was laughed at on the phone for enquiring about braces to my local PCT at the age of 27. However, I read the index of treatment need, and discovered I was entitled to treatment due to the length of my overjet in millimetres.

Armed with this information and having gone told the orthodontist that I had been in touch with the Dental Reference Service, I was then put on a waiting list, and still have braces in now at 31. I will eventually get retainers in. I also managed to correct my swallowing so that I am no longer tongue thrusting when I swallow. I done this mostly myself, although treatment can be obtained on the NHS.

If there's anything you should take from my story it is that some dentists and orthos will be highly keen not to treat you even when you should qualify for treatment. One other thing, in the Orthodontists practice I go to I seem to see people asking for relatives to be put on the waiting list, and trying to access treatment straight through the orthodontist without any dentist referring them. I think it can sometimes be better to find a smaller local orthodontist who does NHS work and get referred to them rather than going to a big hospital who are even more keen to refuse treatment for adults.

pebbz

I had the same dentist from when i was little up until i turned 19 (I am 22 years old now)... throughout my teens I always thought that I needed a brace, so started asking from when I was 13 years old (even my mum was asking my dentist) and he said I didnt need one because my teeth werent crooked enough, even though the only straight teeth are my two top teeth. My canines jut out and my lateral incisors are twisted because of this. And all my bottom teeth are crooked and overlap.

So as I was getting older I continued to ask, until I turned 18 and my dentist said I was too old to have a brace on the NHS now and would have to pay.

Now I am 22 and have changed dentists but am still at the same practice, and I can never get an appointment for a check up, I last went to the dentist when I was 20 because they always say I will have to call up in a few months for an appointment, but when I do, they always brush me off again.

I'm not sure whether this is because I am a student and do not pay for the procedures, but now I have finished University I am scared in case I go and need a lot of work done and will have to pay a huge amount.

I hate my teeth so much and they cause me physical pain. I do not eat sweets or sugary foods because I am so scared they will get worse. I have had countless fillings and even had root canal (which I thought was unnecassary because I wasn't even getting any pain at the time I was told I needed it, and from my understanding, root canal is really serious and painful).

I dont know if I should change dentists because I have been told it is really difficult to get onto a practices list.

Woodyrocks

I am 28, live in London and tried to access free ortho' treatment on the NHS to no avail. My dentist told me there was no chance but I still made him refer me to Kings Dentistry. At my appointment, they measured the offending tooth in relation to everything else and informed me that it wasn't bad enough to warrant me being put forward for NHS treatment which was a surprise as the potrusion was really bad AFAIWC!

By this point I was sick to the back teeth (!) of bad teeth and the confidence sapping way of it all so decided to spend the money I had been saving for a car on braces. I got referred, once again by my NHS dentist, to an Ortho' and within 4wks had begun treatment. My bottom brace went in first in Sept' 08 and a month later the top went in. I have Ceramics at a cost of just over £3K. I should be finished with them before December 09 and my teeth look AMAZING already and my confidence is sky-high. Worth every single penny for sure.