NHS orthodontic treatment and metal fixed braces are free for young adults under the age of 18 with a clear health need for treatment. Such problems include severe protrusion of the teeth, severe mis-alignment or crowding of the teeth and congenitally missing teeth.
Every child under the age of 18 is entitled to an NHS Orthodontic Examination. If you are concerned about your child’s teeth, the first step is to ask your dentist to refer your child to Brentwood Orthodontic& Implant Centre.
Once the referral has been made, our expert team of specialist orthodontists will carry out an NHS Orthodontic Assessment in order to determine your child’s eligibility and need for treatment.
NHS treatment is carried out to the highest of standards, at our state-of-the-art clinic. Clinic timings are restricted and may not be available during school holidays
The Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN) is used nowadays to assess the need for NHS orthodontic treatment. Children under 18years are eligible for treatment on dental health grounds if the grade on the IOTN scale is high enough. Here is an easy to understand version of the assessment an orthodontist will carry out:
Grade 1 is almost perfection
Grade 2 is for minor irregularities
Grade 3 is for greater irregularities which normally do not need treatment for health reasons
Grade 4 is for more severe degrees of irregularity and these do require treatment for health reasons.
Grade 5 is for severe dental health problems
NHS treatment is available for grade 4 and grade 5 cases and Grade 3 cases are usually judged on an individual basis.
If your child does not meet the NHS criteria but you still wish to pursue orthodontic treatment, you can consider funding the treatment yourself on a private basis. We offer flexible finance options to facilitate funding private treatment should that be your choice.
