NHS Orthodontics Waiting Times

What Orthodontics covers

Orthodontics is the straightening of teeth and correction of the bite — braces, aligners and jaw alignment. NHS orthodontic treatment is mostly for under-18s who score highly enough on the NHS need assessment, and waits are frequently among the longest of any NHS service. Some cases are treated jointly with oral or maxillofacial surgery.

People are usually referred here for

• Fixed braces for a child or teenager
• Crowded, protruding or impacted teeth
• An overbite or underbite
• Jaw surgery combined with braces
• Cleft lip and palate orthodontics

Were you referred somewhere else?

The same problem is sometimes handled by a different department, and the wait can be very different. Check these too:

Your right to choose a Orthodontics hospital

Under the NHS Constitution and the Health Act 2009, you have a legal right to choose which NHS or NHS-commissioned independent sector provider sees you for your first outpatient Orthodontics appointment.

Your GP must refer you via the NHS e-Referral Service (e-RS) and offer you at least five choices. If you have already been referred to a hospital with a long wait, you can ask your GP to re-refer you to a provider with a shorter wait. This is entirely within your rights.

Research shows the average extra distance to a significantly shorter wait is just 13 miles.