Our caring team are here to help you find your dream smile. Straighten your smile with the help of our specialist orthodontists. Choose from our wide range of braces and relax in our expert hands. See some of our patients' transformations and read what they had to say about their experience at Splash Orthodontics. NHS funding is available to under 18s who need braces to improve their oral health.
Your dentist will be able to provide you with some initial advice and advise you on the ideal time for an assessment with an orthodontist. Your free consultation will take approximately 15—30 minutes. Examples include slightly protruding upper front teeth and minor irregularities. If you receive grade 3, you could still be eligible for NHS funding. Asking family and friends for a recommendation is also a good idea. Braces prices in the UK will vary across different regions and from one dentist to another, so it's worth shopping around to get an idea of costs.
An orthodontist won't be able to provide a final quote until they have examined your teeth during a consultation, which may itself incur a small fee. Many dentists offer payment plans to make treatment more affordable. Be sure to check exactly what is included in your quotation and what you'll have to pay for separately. Consider things like tooth extractions, retainers, mouthguards, and ongoing checkups after your braces are removed.
Also remember that you'll need to travel to your dentist for regular checkups, so it's more convenient to find one located near your home or office. If you're interested in Invisalign braces, you can search for your local Invisalign dentist here — they have a wide-reaching network so you shouldn't have to travel too far. In most cases, it's possible to realign teeth without having metal glued to them — which is what most people consider braces to be.
Clear aligners are one way to do this. Remember, you can check whether you're a suitable candidate for Invisalign with a free, no-obligation online Smile Assessment. However, some people want to avoid braces altogether, can't visit a dentist's office regularly, or simply can't afford the treatment. Fortunately, there are other ways to straighten teeth without braces — at least in certain cases. It may be possible to use a dental retainer to correct minor problems such as overcrowded teeth , for instance.
Veneers can be used to improve the appearance of crooked teeth, and composite bonding may also help in some cases. Then there is the option of home teeth aligner kits , which are usually cheaper than getting braces at the dentist but have some limitations and risks.
If you are considering removable braces and want to know more, read our article on the best teeth aligners in the UK. Orthodontics can achieve some pretty amazing transformations. The time-lapse video below shows how a variety of patients' teeth looked before and after braces treatment.
Your teeth after braces will be better aligned so you can eat and take care of them more easily. When you have crooked teeth, more surfaces are exposed to plaque and the spaces between are harder to clean. So getting braces may reduce your chances of cavities later in life. Orthodontia should also improve the aesthetics of your smile. Orthodontic appliances usually get to work quite fast; the third example above shows teeth just nine weeks after the initial fitting.
But even if your teeth start to look better after just a couple of months, it's likely your treatment will need to continue for a while longer to get your teeth moved into their final position. We have a separate page of Invisalign before and after pictures which may also be of interest.
Remember, you can see what your teeth could look like after braces by using Invisalign's free SmileView. Simply upload a selfie and wait one minute while their smart tool does its thing. There's no obligation to continue with Invisalign treatment but you'll have a snapshot of your new smile!
After your braces come off, your teeth won't necessarily want to stay in their new, straighter position. A retainer will help keep them in place. The length of time you have to wear one will depend on your individual circumstances — your dentist will advise you on this. If you've only had your front teeth straightened, you may be able to get a fixed retainer.
This is a metal wire that's glued to the back of your teeth to keep them in place. The other option is a removable retainer, and these come in a couple of different styles — Essix clear and Hawley pictured. They might need to be worn during the day, at least at first, but can easily be taken out for special occasions and to eat.
On the downside, they're easy to lose and expensive to replace. Whichever type you choose, you'll need to clean your retainer properly to prolong its life. Read more about how retainers work and the different types available in our full guide to retainers.
In many countries, including the US, the high cost of braces for adults even with insurance has turned them into a status symbol of sorts. This view has been slower to spread to the UK, where there is still some stigma attached to wearing braces. Nowadays, it's becoming more common for adults to seek treatment later in life — either because they missed out on it as a child or because of the amount that adult braces cost in the UK with private treatment.
It's still understandable for adults to worry about being treated differently at work, being teased by friends, or being viewed differently by potential partners as a result of wearing braces. This is one of the reasons why alternatives such as removable aligners and clear braces are so popular. Invisible braces not only make it easier to eat but can be taken out for short periods — for example, important meetings — if the wearer is particularly self-conscious. On a practical note, some adult brace-wearers report difficulties with speaking and eating at first, but soon become accustomed to their new appliance and find ways to adjust.
Most people get used to wearing braces within a month, and no longer notice them after six months or so. Cleaning around fixed braces takes a little extra time, but there are special tools such as orthodontic floss , interdental brushes and oral irrigators which can make the job easier. If you get dental braces as an adult you're asking your body to break down bone in your jaw that holds your teeth in their current position, then re-grow securing teeth in their new position.
The following video shows how this happens:. So yes, it's normal to feel some discomfort — especially in the days following each visit to the dentist or orthodontist where your brace is adjusted. There's a chance you may also experience some irritation to your cheek tissue, which can lead to mouth sores. However, in return for a year or two of occasional discomfort, you get a smile you're confident to show off for the rest of your life. Some people need to get dental spacers before braces to create some space around certain teeth, especially for fitting molar bands.
Spacers usually cause some pain and discomfort for the first day or two after fitting. If you experience severe pain from wearing braces or a wire comes loose and is at risk of causing injury to part of your mouth, you should contact your dentist or orthodontist to make an urgent appointment. While there are some foods you may avoid simply for comfort, there are others that are prohibited altogether if you have a fixed appliance. Invisible aligners offer most flexibility with eating as they can be completely removed — but remember you must clean your teeth before putting them back in again.
Your orthodontist will tell you which foods to avoid eating with fixed braces. These usually include:. You can also cause damage just by biting on hard things like your fingernails or the end of a pencil, so you must be mindful of what you put in your mouth. If your braces get damaged while you're eating you may not even realise it, and this can prolong your treatment. You may have to pay for certain parts to be replaced, too.
These are both good reasons to follow the instructions from your dentist! The simple answer is that even if there is no medical need, there is nothing stopping you from getting cosmetic teeth straightening.
So if you're unhappy with how your teeth look and you think adult braces would help, go ahead and book an appointment to find out more. If you think you're eligible for NHS braces you'll need to make an appointment with your dentist who will then refer you to an orthodontist. With private treatment you can skip straight to having a consultation with your chosen orthodontist or dentist.
This video from the British Orthodontic Society explains more about your choices when it comes to braces:. Should you decide you want a certain brand for you or your teenager, such as Invisalign or Damon, you will need to search for orthodontists or dentists near you who offer that particular system.
It's never too late to take the first step towards a more confident smile. Now you understand how much different kinds of dental braces cost in the UK, you just need to decide which type will suit you best. This probably comes down to a balance between price, comfort, appearance and results.
Invisalign is a well-established brand of invisible brace which is provided through dentists and orthodontists. Alternatively, search for an Invisalign dentist near you and book an appointment online so you can discuss your treatment options and get a personal quotation. The price of Invisalign compared to metal braces is similar, and sometimes a little more — but in return you get to avoid the discomfort and appearance of fixed brace brackets. If you have a very complex case then you may need fixed braces, but you can still opt for clear brackets to make them less noticeable.
Whatever you decide on, we hope this article has helped you understand all the options available and which would be best for you. Still have some burning questions about getting braces for adults or teens? Take a look below for the answers. There is a difference between a medical need and a desire for cosmetic improvement. Even if you don't technically need braces, you may still choose to get them if you're unhappy with your teeth. Treatment for cosmetic straightening is usually quicker than if significant realignment is needed.
Metal braces are effective, but they don't look great. Adults wanting a more discreet way to straighten their teeth usually opt for clear aligners like Invisalign. These cost about the same as metal braces but are much harder to notice. NHS Orthodontic tenders are available to the most competitive bidder and unfortunately there are very few tenders available. The City of Westminster undertook an assessment of the Westminster population in and at that time there were 18, children aged from But why would you not be able to get the braces?
If you would like to know what is included in these scales, please the British Orthodontic Society page here. NHS treatment is onl y available for grade 4 and grade 5 cases. Grade 3 cases are rare and usually judged on an individual basis. Occasionally NHS orthodontic treatment is available to adults, especially those that require jaw surgery, but it is usually provided on a case-by-case basis and only if there is a medical need for treatment.
If you do qualify for NHS treatment, both your braces and your first set of retainers will be paid for entirely by the NHS. As you can imagine, the funding available for each patient is finite and typically covers treatment with fixed metal braces, followed by removable retainers and 12 months of aftercare.
If you would like to choose your brace, you have the option to pay for your treatment privately — regardless of whether you qualify for NHS treatment. Not only would you be able to opt for a discreet appliance such as lingual braces, but you would also benefit from the other advantages of private orthodontic treatment.
A consultation is needed before any kind of orthodontic treatment. Patients who qualify for NHS treatment may need to join a waiting list before they can have their brace fitted. This is because of limited NHS funding, which restricts the number of patients your orthodontist can treat each year.
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