Does an HC2 Exemption Cover Brace Fitting?

Q.
My grandaughter has been attending the same dentist for the last 7 years and having 6 monthly checkups, and has been querying previously why she still has one of her baby teeth.
She is now 19, at university and has been back to the dentist this week and been told that the second tooth is trying to push itself down behind one of her other teeth and she now has an infection in it. She has been told that they will have to take the baby tooth out, and she’ll have to have a brace to correct this long standing problem. She has been told she will have to pay for this treatment and my question is does an HC2 exemption cover the fitting of braces (if she manages to get one), or should she make a complaint against the dentist who obviously has not been doing his job properly for the last 7 years? The other thing is that this is a herediatory problem as her mother had to have a similar brace fitted, and this was picked up by another dentist when she was 10, she had her brace and treatment at the age of 12. I would appreciate your advice please, and guidance as to what to do next. Thanks.
A.
Thank you for your question. As a cosmetic dentist who only practices privately, I am not the best person to ask about NHS charges, exemptions etc. My advice is to contact your local PCT. Dental anomalies, whilst sometimes seen in similar patterns to siblings/parents/grandparents, are not purely hereditary. Regards, Mark.
Dr Mark Hughes Harley Street Dental Studio 52 Harley Street, London W1G 9PY Web: www.harleystreetdentalstudio.com Tel: 020 7636 5981 View My Profile Dr Hughes

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