The Local Health Board is responsible for deciding what NHS treatment should be available in their area and for funding.

What the government is attempting to do is target limited NHS resources to those children with the greatest oral health need rather than cosmetic need. This means that if your older than 18 years your not eligible for treatment.

However every patient has the right to an orthodontic assessment by a specialist.

Orthodontics working with the NHS are contracted to a fixed number of treatments which means that waiting lists to see an orthodontist on the NHS will lengthen.

It is of concern to the British Orthodontic Society as it is normally best for patients to receive treatment when they are teenagers. The British Orthodontic Society is putting pressure on the government to ensure that children that are eligible for treatment do not have a long wait but in the end it is a political decision.

An additional restriction has also been placed on orthodontic services. Orthodontists are required to assess a patients need for treatment before accepting them as an NHS patient.

The system which has been introduced, the index of treatment need (IOTN) measures the patient's dental health need on a scale of 1 to 5. Only patients who score above 3.6 on this scale would be eligible for NHS funding.

This means many patients have to take up private treatment, in recognising this trend The Smile Works have set about developing a private service where by you get unrestricted access to the latest technologies and a service which goes beyond the standard NHS so you get the most value for your money.