Is Invisalign Braces available via NHS ?
Invisalign are removable clear plastic aligners that are the most popular brace in the world used for teeth straightening. Invisalign pioneered the world’s first clear aligners and that is why 9 million people (and counting) have now transformed their lives by taking the Invisalign journey.
As Invisalign transparent aligners are very comfortable and virtually invisible, they serve as a great alternative to traditional braces. Due to its discreetness, no one will be able to tell that you are undergoing orthodontic treatment. Also as they are completely removable, you are able to eat or drink whatever you like, plus be able to brush your teeth as you normally would during the course of treatment.
At NW1 Dental Care, we’re proud to be one of London’s leading providers of Invisalign, as such we’ve seen a lot of patients and speak to many people about Invisalign treatment on a daily basis. For most persons considering Invisalign treatment, a common question is whether or not Invisalign is available on the NHS?
NHS funding for braces
NHS is publicly funded and its funding for dental work is a bit complicated. The main aim of NHS in dentistry is to help patients improve their dental health instead of catering to cosmetic treatment needs to improve appearance. Hence, clear braces options aren’t available via NHS.
However, it is true that NHS funding is available for orthodontic care where patients below the age of 18 can meet the treatment criteria which is determined by a dentist or orthodontist using a rating system known as the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN).In this system, your smile is graded between 1 to 5 which determines your eligibility for the orthodontic care.
Score 4-5 : You are eligible for NHS funding as you need treatment due to some dental health reasons
Score 3 : your orthodontist will make a decision if you qualify or not
Score 1-2 : you won’t be eligible for NHS care
NHS funding for Invisalign
Adults don’t usually qualify for NHS orthodontic care but in some rare situations where there is an extreme need for orthodontic work they might be approved on a case by case basis. However, no matter your age NHS funding would be for traditional metal braces and not Invisalign braces.
NHS is public-funded and the budget is relatively small so they are restricted to the use of the material that is good but also cost-effective. Traditional metal fixed braces are still an excellent choice for teeth straightening and cheaper than lingual braces or Invisalign so are the preferred choice for NHS treatment.
Both metal braces or Invisalign will get your teeth straightened and improve your smile but metal braces don’t appeal to everyone. As such, these people could consider Invisalign treatment if they are happy to pay for it privately in a dental clinic.
Paying for your treatment privately
Orthodontic treatments are not cheap. Nowadays most dental practices offer free consultations and payment plans that help you spread the cost of Invisalign treatment over several months making them more affordable.
At NW1 Dental Care, we try to make our Invisalign treatment more accessible and affordable by offering the lowest price AND one of best Invisalign package in London. On top of FREE consultation, we are giving £1000 off the Invisalign package so not only you get cheaper treatment but benefit from our special offer which includes
- FREE 3D SCAN & Smile Preview (Worth £250)
- Actual INVISALIGN® Vivera Retainers (Worth £500)
- FREE Zoom Teeth Whitening (Worth £250)
- Bespoke INVISALIGN® treatment including ALL visits
- A Comprehensive New Patient Check-Up
- FREE Cosmetic Tooth Shaping (if required) at the end (worth £95 per tooth)
Our all-inclusive package thus provides a number of additional benefits which aren’t usually available with NHS. You can take advantage of this package at NW1 Dental Care to allows us help to you achieve your beautiful perfect smile.
We also offer a range of finance options, including 0% APR to our patients to make the treatments affordable. Finance packages start from just £27 per month. Our team will discuss all options during your initial free consultation. To find out more, visit our Invisalign page or contact our team to book your free no-obligation consultation to see how we can help you.
