Hi all
Just thought i would share our experience this week.
Our 13 year old son woke on tuesday with a tooth ache, he put up with it till wednesday and said i need to go to the doctors. Which shows he was in pain as he has a total phobia of dentists. Well we went along they had a look and they had to refer him to a pedactric dentists because it was an adult tooth, the position of it etc etc. So off we went on thursday down to perth saw the dentist down their he told us what he needed to do but to enable him to do all this we had to see first a orthodontist get his advice they would then talk about what to do. So off we went to see him , got his oponion to and left it for them to sort out what they were going to do. Now the bad thing is we have no dental cover so to start these appointments came to around $600 nothing is covered under medicare as we have found out, we could have gone on the waiting list publicly but that would have been 18 months wait for an anethetist alone and you have to have a healthcare card and be on a very low income so you have to go private!! Anyway it feels very strange having to book all your own stuff i have had to ring the south bank clinic in perth and book 120 mins of theatre, then ring and book 120 mins of anethetist time, then the doctor who will perform the op, then he has to see the orthodontist. He is having 5 teeth removed, 4 restorations, 3 fisherseals and then the fitting of braces. This comes to a total cost of around $8500 , and we have no health cover. So i am saying to you all think about getting it when you arrive, unless you can afford to pay out things like this.
Joanne

My sympathy - I do have some cover but it is still costing a fortune for our two kids orthodontic work. Over 8K for one and 5.5K for the other before the smallish rebate. These costs are working estimates at the moment for the next two years without large amounts of teeth extractions - if they are needed we will have increased costs.

We did try and persuade my son his teeth weren't that bad! But did feel dreadful that we would think about the cost here, when he had been all signed up for free orthodontic work in the UK.

So now we have decided they are actually receiving their 18th birthday presents early . On the cards they receive on the actual birthday it is going to have a small mirror inside and written underneath - 'Smile - You look wonderful'

My husband also added that he wanted straight teeth from the kids for his 50th birthday present! By then they will be 22 and 24 and he fancies letting them know the true impact of paying for them! I think he might get slippers and a coffee mug!

Cheers Sandra

PS check out all dental polices very carefully there are loads of hidden bits they means the policy does not pay out for 'extras' or only so much per year.

Let's hope that research work on new teeth comes along fast. (Real new teeth in a month or so grown from your own stem cells).

First results are very positive, molars are cracked (no they're not, they're perfect) but they are working out how to get canines and incisors.

That is one scary post :scared: We have four children and have already been told that the eldest will need teeth extracted and a brace fitted when he reaches the age of about eleven or twelve (he's eight now). Surely there is an insurance that can cover most of the costs involved??? Can anyone out there tell us? We thought that medicare would cover most medical AND dental costs but as this is obviously not the case can someone tell us what would - PLEASE!!

Have noticed a whole lot of kiwis have rotten teeth AND the brits are renowned for their bad teeth?! ... I think the kiwis I have come across here have much worse

I dont know for a fact, but my boyfriends daughter is going to need braces in 3-4years time and he is already saving for them - he's lived in Australia all his life, so if there were and easy affordable alternative I'm pretty sure he would have looked into it. I hope someone else on here and can prove me wrong

Omg - this is one scary thread

I was aware of this though as I have mates that live in Australia and come back here to get their teeth done as it works out cheaper even including the plane fare etc and they get a holiday at the same time

Oh the joys of private healthcare

I doubt if you would get insured for any treatment that you know will be needed as this would be an existing condition.

I have dental insurance in the UK but this is only available once your teeth have been assessed and remedial work done.

If you want such insurance then you would probably need to be assessed first and your child's condition would be detected and I doubt if an insurance company would take it on.
I would check a few companies and see what they say and read the small print!!!

Good luck

G

I have told my son if i see a sweet pass his lips after all this, i will not be held responsible for my actions The other nite at Tafe the youngsters on the course ( all around 20ish ) were all eating Rock, and someone said boy thats bad for your teeth, two commented on how much their parents had forked out on their teeth without a bloomin care in the world whilst munching away on this rock something like $6000 a piece. I hope my son appreciates what we are doing for him But i have to say he is in alot of pain today so hell be glad when its all over bless him. We found out of it all medicare on covered a fraction of the Anethitists costs. Nothing else is covered medicare, like the theatre costs at the hospital, orthodontist, the surgeons work, nor all of the consultations, very distressing you know all this
Joanne

We are still in the UK and our son (aged 8) is currently being fitted with a brace at a cost of £1500. Unfortunately he has inherited my small mouth and very large teeth! When I was his age I had all my first teeth pulled out to make room for the 2nd teeth coming through. Current thinking is that they do not do this any more as it ruins the shape of the developing jaw. Our orthodontist is trying to expand the arches of his jaw so that there is more room for the teeth coming through and hopefully it will reduce the likelihood of extractions being necessary when he's in his teens. It is likely he will need further work done later but it will not be so major.

The point I'm making is it might be worth seeing if your son can have any work done now (depending on your timescale for going to Oz). The drawback is that you don't seem to be able to have it done on the NHS at this young age. However it seems cheaper in Sterling than in Ozzie dollars! Also at this age our orthodontist says kids are much more "compliant" in wearing a brace!

Vote Labor at the next election. Adding dentistry to Medicare was one of their goals.

I had braces when I was younger, had them fitted when I was 11 all on the NHS and all for free (including 4 extractions). Don't know if things have changed in the past 14years (that makes me feel old! ) but it would certainly be something to look into if you could get them done in the UK!

This sort of issue needs more attention on this forum.

I wonder how many people are well into the migration process and do not know about these potential difficulties

No help to you Joanne and I hope it works out but you have done a sevice by highlighting it.

No doubt some will see discussion about your difficulty as a 'negative' but it is a reality and can not be ignored.

People may knock the UK system but do they REALLY realise what the alternatives are? Or what they are walking (flying) into?

Good luck

G

My eldest son had appauling treatment at the hands of dentists who pulled this tooth and that tooth out to make his teeth straight and when we went back for the fitting of his brace the dentist said we need to pull more teeth ... I said no way and we walked away.I did ask why do you want to pull more healthy teeth the US way is to widen the jaw line and not just pull the teeth and the orthodontist said oh but thats the american way and we do it the european way.... some argument eh

Our dentist told us that there is some controversy about whether to fit braces at a young age or whether to leave it and then extract teeth in your teens. All I know is how much I suffered having teeth pulled out as a child and how traumatic I found it. If I can save my son that experience it will be worth it. His orthodontist has a photo album full of before and after shots of her patients and the results she has achieved have been amazing - that's not just straightening of teeth but also whole re-modelling of the facial profile.