Offspring, braces £3k?

[CoolHands]

It appears you now have sweet fk-all chance of getting braces on the nhs unless your teeth are greater than 6mm gaps etc + stick out like a donkey.

So cost is £2.8k for metal ones, 300 sovs more for (different colour, I think). The clinic has very good reviews and seems well liked and is well established so no reason to doubt.

Any thoughts? For number 1 daughter aged 12, probably 13 when we go for it.

[Pebbles167]

I just paid a bit over £3k for my girlfriend to have the braces done, so seems about right I guess.

Get it done now, so they dont need it later. Was very painful for her as she's 30, and had to have them regularly messed around with, plus because she waited so long, a couple of teeth have had to be removed, and veneers put on the top row, that's gonna be a further £2.5k.

[RichTT]

Had some pretty extreme orthodontistry and braces when I was a kid. The hassle is well worth the end results.

[Parsnip]

RichTT said:

Had some pretty extreme orthodontistry and braces when I was a kid. The hassle is well worth the end results.

This - I was full on elastic bands and bits of wire as a kid - its something I never appreciated and hated going (to this day I have no idea what my parents paid...), but the results now that I am mid 30s are something that I am grateful for - I used to have an impressive salmon jaw, now I have normal stty British teeth, not a wonky row of tombstones and a underbite that you could sail a yacht through.

[amoeba]

A wealthy boss of a company I worked for told me braces for her daughter cost £6,000, so 3k seems fair value in comparison.

Whats the alternative, invisalign? Can kids have that?

[Jasey_]

Parsnip said:

RichTT said:

Had some pretty extreme orthodontistry and braces when I was a kid. The hassle is well worth the end results.

This - I was full on elastic bands and bits of wire as a kid - its something I never appreciated and hated going (to this day I have no idea what my parents paid...), but the results now that I am mid 30s are something that I am grateful for - I used to have an impressive salmon jaw, now I have normal stty British teeth, not a wonky row of tombstones and a underbite that you could sail a yacht through.

Yep - I had similar - After 2 years dentist said to my Mum "Well that didn't work".

Hoping things have improved in the last 40 years .

[Nurburgsingh]

explains why my dentist owns a Veyron and a Pagani

[NickCQ]

I am not a dentist, but my experience is if you have them done as a teenager your teeth get screwed up again by wisdom teeth and you'll have to have braces again in your 20's.

[bristoltype603]

I've just commented on a PH thread about a dentist who was spending all his salary. Just be aware that you could be being upsold something you don't need to pay for your dentists lifestyle. Remember teeth do continue to move for many years.

[ben_h100]

Depending on the severity, there may be other options. I’ve recently had a set of braces fitted for less than £2k, Bath area.

[Rollin]

NickCQ said:

I am not a dentist, but my experience is if you have them done as a teenager your teeth get screwed up again by wisdom teeth and you'll have to have braces again in your 20's.

Wisdom teeth have no effect. Not wearing a retainer, if needed, is likely cause of relapse later.

[Rollin]

CoolHands said:

It appears you now have sweet fk-all chance of getting braces on the nhs unless your teeth are greater than 6mm gaps etc + stick out like a donkey.

So cost is £2.8k for metal ones, 300 sovs more for (different colour, I think). The clinic has very good reviews and seems well liked and is well established so no reason to doubt.

Any thoughts? For number 1 daughter aged 12, probably 13 when we go for it.

I don't do ortho, but this is about right for what they charge.

[NickCQ]

Rollin said:

Wisdom teeth have no effect. Not wearing a retainer, if needed, is likely cause of relapse later.

If the original issue was crowding and your wisdom teeth come in horizontally like mine did, they do! At least that was what my dentist said at the time.

[Rollin]

NickCQ said:

Rollin said:

Wisdom teeth have no effect. Not wearing a retainer, if needed, is likely cause of relapse later.

If the original issue was crowding and your wisdom teeth come in horizontally like mine did, they do! At least that was what my dentist said at the time.

It's a common misconception.

[Blakeatron]

My 11 year old daughter has just been approved for nhs braces, under recommendation from our private dentist.

She has a severe overbite and very wonky front teeth, however it was very close that were not going to qualify.
Her date has been set for early Feb

[NickCQ]

Rollin said:

It's a common misconception.

Including among dentists, it would seem

[Rollin]

Blakeatron said:

My 11 year old daughter has just been approved for nhs braces, under recommendation from our private dentist.

She has a severe overbite and very wonky front teeth, however it was very close that were not going to qualify.
Her date has been set for early Feb

The referral criteria were changed a number of years ago. Teeth have to be quite bad now to get NHS treatment.

[DickyC]

Rollin said:

NickCQ said:

I am not a dentist, but my experience is if you have them done as a teenager your teeth get screwed up again by wisdom teeth and you'll have to have braces again in your 20's.

Wisdom teeth have no effect. Not wearing a retainer, if needed, is likely cause of relapse later.

My teeth straightening failed in my teens twice. I had an operation to sort them out in my thirties after the dog headbutted me; this included my jaws being wired shut (for a fortnight IIRC). That lasted a while. Straightened again in my fifties with permanent retainers top and bottom and an overnight retainer for the top. It's not just vanity, I was biting against the roof of my mouth.

Long story short, it's never too late and retainers are important.

[gregs656]

NickCQ said:

I am not a dentist, but my experience is if you have them done as a teenager your teeth get screwed up again by wisdom teeth and you'll have to have braces again in your 20's.

Not my experience. I had quite a lot of work done with braces, and had 4 teeth removed to make space, and my wisdom teeth have made no difference at all.

I have worn a retainer at night since I was a teen, something which I had planned to change but COVID has delayed all that.

[maxdb]

I paid about £1850 for my tops to be done many, many years ago and for a full set they charged about £3400 so £3000 isn't a bad price at all.

I still have a retainer glued in the back of my top teeth now and I must say it was the best money I've spent.