Dentist advice re braces please

Artytarty

Hi, I find myself in a weird position lately as unofficial guardian to a boy of 16.
he came here for education to a boarding school but is seeking leave to stay on humanitarian grounds.
i am helping him with this process.
family back home, Middle East have run out of money, he can't return because of the war. Etc
thats the background.
i noice he is wearing braces and the last time anyone looked at them professionally was probably around Autumn.in a different country.
there is no money to start again and I think they should probably be removed.
can the nhs do this for him? I'm guessing not. Is there a benevolent fund that might help?
im not seeking full treatment for him, just trying to protect his teeth in best state possible.

brook2jack2

fortunately as the boy is 16 he can consent for himself , otherwise your main difficulty would be getting legal status as guardian to consent for him. 
Your best bet is to phone around a few orthodontists, explain the situation and see what they suggest. It is unlikely it will be done on the NHS or the NHS will fund continuation of brace work particularly as he does not have official status in the country as yet and the work was started abroad. However getting the brace removed privately would not ,normally , be very expensive but does need to be done by an orthodontist, who will have the tools to do so. 

Artytarty

Thank you Jack!
I think that's the answer I was hoping for.
parental/ educational guardian consent can be obtained if necessary.
they may be able to afford removal, if not I might pay it myself.
am I right though, that this shouldn't just be left to drift along?
the feeling I am getting from home and Ed guardian- who I help out locally- is that refugee status is the main concern and anything else is irrelevant.

brook2jack2

I would be more concerned that his diet and cleaning are good as these are more likely to cause problems when wearing braces than the braces themselves. The best thing is for an orthodontist to see him and take it from there.

Toothsmith

Having braces on the teeth that are not 'active' is no different than having a permanent retainer bonded to the teeth once orthodontic treatment is completed. It certainly won't be 'over-moving' the teeth.
If the treatment is nearly completed, or complete, and there is noone around to make him a set of retainers - then from the orthodontic treatment point of view - they may well be best left where they are.
Braces are an obstacle to good oral hygiene sometimes though - so it would be worth assessing his general dental state to make sure the braces aren't causing a problem from this point of view. If they are - then removal would be a good idea, especially if access to regular routine care is still going to be an issue for a while.

So - it's not automatically the 'right' thing to do, getting them taken off. But it would be a very good idea to try and get him an appointment with either a local orthodontist as Brook suggested, or a local general dentist, so someone can properly assess his situation and advise accordingly.

Artytarty

Yes it's the hygiene aspect that concerns me , especially without a concerned adult about to remind him daily!
ill see about taking him to my own dentist.
local orthodontist is charging £240 for a first consultation appointment.
im not saying that isn't justified, it is, but I just don't think the money is available to pay for it.