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Am I likely to qualify for NHS braces as an adult?

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  • Private treatment is quicker and 80% cheaper in Hungary. The dentistry there is absolutely first class, so worth investigating.
  • selement
    selement Posts: 518 Forumite
    I had my nhs dentist telling me I needed braces for years (was supposed to have one as a teen but they gave me the awful retainer first and I didn't complete), but I said I couldn't afford it. It sounds like it's nearly impossible to qualify as an adult. Eventually when I was a little better off I got invisalign and paid monthly on finance. Still grumpy that the dentist can say I 'need' braces but it can't possibly be included on nhs though!
    Trying to lose weight (13.5lb to go)
  • brook2jack
    brook2jack Posts: 4,563 Forumite
    It's not the dentists fault. The government took adult braces out of the NHS in England and Wales and severely restricted children's eligibility in 2006.

    Scotland and NI are now following the same path and have introduced IOTN.

    It can be argued that anyone who needs a brace will have had one as a child and the NHS is stretched enough as it is. Brace work accounts for over 40% of the budget for children's dentistry. Sobering when you think in my area almost half of children have decay by the time they are 5 and the number one reason for children's hospital admissions is tooth decay!
  • brook2jack
    brook2jack Posts: 4,563 Forumite
    Luso_lady wrote: »
    Private treatment is quicker and 80% cheaper in Hungary. The dentistry there is absolutely first class, so worth investigating.


    Considering brace treatment takes , on average , 18 months to complete and multiple visits , normally every six weeks, it is difficult to see that this is in anyway practical or even sensible.
  • Taggo
    Taggo Posts: 113 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 10 Posts Combo Breaker
    I was prepared to pay the cost for clear braces, and, I totally understand the costs. A trained professional doing 18-24months of work in any field isn't going to be cheap.

    I was lucky (or unlucky) that my teeth are that bad I qualify for NHS treatment, and at almost 32 confident enough not to really care what people think.

    Looking forward to getting them on and seeing some movement!

    I do feel for people that don't qualify and can't afford to go private as I know how self concious it can make you feel. In that case for me it would be save, save, save!
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