Adult Orthodontics?

IceColdRum

As a a young teenager I had teeth removed and a brace fitted but due to poor maintenance and lack of interest on my part eventually the brace was removed.

as an adult I now realise that I wasted an opportunity to straighten my severe over bite and would happily go back in time if I could...

I think I may still qualify for treatment as an adult under the NHS as I have an overbite of around 9mm and I have been previously told that I will need surgery on my jaw I am concerned though that I may be turned away due to my oral health as I now have some half a dozen fillings (due mostly to poor cleaning and fizzy drinks!) I have now vastly improved my dental hygiene and stopped drinking anything other than water and fruit teas.

If I don't qualify for NHS treatment how would I go about getting braces privately? would I have to pay for jaw surgery privately as well?

boliston

My OH is having adult overbite treatment with a company called orthoworld 2000 - she seems quite happy with them although it is quite pricey and you have to pay 25% up front and the rest over 12 months

Toothsmith

IceColdRum wrote: »

As a a young teenager I had teeth removed and a brace fitted but due to poor maintenance and lack of interest on my part eventually the brace was removed.

as an adult I now realise that I wasted an opportunity to straighten my severe over bite and would happily go back in time if I could...

I think I may still qualify for treatment as an adult under the NHS as I have an overbite of around 9mm and I have been previously told that I will need surgery on my jaw I am concerned though that I may be turned away due to my oral health as I now have some half a dozen fillings (due mostly to poor cleaning and fizzy drinks!) I have now vastly improved my dental hygiene and stopped drinking anything other than water and fruit teas.

If I don't qualify for NHS treatment how would I go about getting braces privately? would I have to pay for jaw surgery privately as well?

If you needed jaw surgery and braces, it would be available on the NHS.

If there are any contra-indications to surgery (The results would be unstable, your medical history would mean you were in danger from surgery) then you really shouldn't consider it anyway - even paying for it.

There might well be non-surgical options you could pay for, but listen carefully to the warnings about how stable any result would be. You would have to were retainers for as long as you could afterwards - but if despite that, the orthodontist thinks the results wouldn't last, it might be better not to start in the first place.

IceColdRum

Toothsmith wrote: »

If you needed jaw surgery and braces, it would be available on the NHS.

If there are any contra-indications to surgery (The results would be unstable, your medical history would mean you were in danger from surgery) then you really shouldn't consider it anyway - even paying for it.

There might well be non-surgical options you could pay for, but listen carefully to the warnings about how stable any result would be. You would have to were retainers for as long as you could afterwards - but if despite that, the orthodontist thinks the results wouldn't last, it might be better not to start in the first place.

Thank you, at the momment I'm just looking for the chance of a referral to see an orthodontist if they don't feel that any work would last then I'd trust their judgement it would be a waste of both our time if it wasn't going to produce a positive lasting result.

The only thing I'm slightly concerned about is when I had the teeth removed under sedation I took far longer to wake up than anticipated by the anaesthetist and I was coughing up lung fulls of mucus for some time afterwards so I think I need to check my records to see why as It was never really explained.

Finefoot

You r dentist can refer you to an orthodontist. You can then ask him those questions as its best to seek a professional opinion.