Private treatment: questions parents ask
Clear answers to help you decide.
Going ahead with treatment? Your £155 assessment fee is deducted. When you choose private treatment after your private assessment, the £155 already paid is taken away from your overall treatment cost. If you use our payment plan, we take it off the £900 deposit, so your deposit is £745 and the monthly amounts do not change. Cross-border (HSE) patients are not included.
Can we move from the health service waiting list to private treatment?
Yes. Private treatment is available at any time – just tell us.
Does paying privately affect health service eligibility?
No. Only your child’s IOTN score decides eligibility, and paying privately never changes it.
Aligners or braces?
We provide metal braces and Smartee clear aligners. Aligners are less noticeable than fixed metal braces, but they must be worn 20 to 22 hours a day and never left out for more than 30 minutes at a time. Your clinician will advise which is better for your child’s teeth.
What is included?
Two sets of retainers and aligner refinements are included. Extractions (carried out by your own dentist) and later replacement retainers are not.
Do they need retainers?
Yes – to keep teeth straight, retainers are worn each night, for life. See retainers.
Can we pay monthly?
Yes: a £900 deposit followed by 12 monthly payments for the rest. A £150 plan fee is added to the remaining balance and divided across your 12 monthly payments.
Is there a sibling or parent offer?
Yes. Any sibling or parent of one of our patients gets 10% off private treatment. Free assessment offer: if you are a parent or sibling of someone currently in health service (NHS) or private treatment with us, we are offering you a free private assessment (usually £155). Each person is assessed separately. See our sibling or parent offer.
Do we keep our health service place?
Yes. A child on the health service waiting list keeps their place while you make up your mind.
Under 18? Under-18s offer: private braces or Smartee aligners are £2,900 (usually £3,900). See costs.
Anything else? Ask your clinician during your appointment, or call us on 028 3870 2623.
Questions about your treatment?
Our team in Portadown is always happy to help. Ring us on 028 3870 2623 or drop us an email.