NHS Braces for Children

Our specialist orthodontic team has many years’ experience of treating children with NHS braces.

Join Thistle Dental in Aberdeen for specialist orthodontic and dental care under one roof.

Due to changes in government funding only certain children and teenagers are eligible for braces on the NHS. The guidelines say that patients must be under 18 years old and braces can only be fitted for health, not cosmetic reasons.

Young people with severe crowding, protruding or buried teeth may be eligible. Your child will receive an initial examination and case report to determine whether they are eligible for NHS braces. The choice of NHS braces available includes fixed metal braces, removable appliances and functional braces.

Fixed braces are the traditional train tracks and they provide a predictable and effective solution for straightening teeth. Metal brackets are fixed to the teeth for the duration of your child’s treatment and the wires are changed regularly to ensure their teeth move into a more desirable position. Many of our young patients choose to brighten them up with coloured bands.

As the name suggests, removable braces are not fixed to the teeth and can be taken out for eating, cleaning and brushing. They are ideal for correcting simple problems and usually have wires and springs attached, which move the teeth using gentle pressure. They often address mild to moderate cases and are sometimes used in the first phase of treatment before fixed appliances are fitted. 

Functional braces correct the way your child’s teeth bite together and are mostly used in under 16 year olds. They are usually removable and aim to reduce prominent teeth and give an improved profile by bringing the lower jaw forward.

NHS waiting lists

There may be a waiting list for NHS treatment and appointments are only available at certain times of the day. If your child does not qualify for NHS braces or you would like to choose the type of brace your child wears, it is well worth considering our private orthodontic options. 

Becoming a private patient has a number of benefits including no waiting lists, appointment times that suit you and a wide choice of braces such as invisible and tooth-coloured options. We offer a Silver Service option for under 18s and prices start from just £900.00 per arch.

Ensuring smiles stay perfect

We make every attempt to ensure your child’s teeth remain straight, stable and stunning after treatment. It is normal for some minor tooth movement to occur throughout life, which is why we encourage all of our patients to wear retainers.

Your child will be fitted with a retainer brace once their orthodontic treatment has finished to ensure their teeth remain in the perfect position.

All of our patients are offered a year of supervised retention. NHS patients are provided with upper and lower retainers (if both arches have been treated). The NHS provides one set of retainers and patients are seen for a review of their retainers four times during that year.

Meet the Team

Your happiness is our priority. Our team of friendly, well-trained and experienced specialist dentists and clinicians will provide the very best care, using the latest state-of-the-art technology, to make sure you get the smile of your dreams!

Laura Hernández Horlock
Laura Hernández Horlock

Dentist with special interest in orthodontics


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