成人快手

Figures seen by 5 live Breakfast show children in some areas of England and Wales are waiting up to three years for orthodontic treatment on the NHS. The British Orthodontic Society says the delays often make treatment more complicated.

Orthodontist David Howells is a consultant for the only NHS orthodontic practice in the three counties of West Wales.

He said the waiting list for his practice is "around 4000 patients" some with "pretty severe problems that are handicapping in terms of both appearance and function and dental health".

"The NHS excludes all the cosmetic treatment and it concentrates just on the needier end of the spectrum."

A Welsh Government spokesperson said "We are working with health boards to improve access to orthodontic services, particularly in rural areas. We are considering the findings of a recent independent review of orthodontic services in Wales and will be issuing new guidance to the health boards".

An NHS spokeswoman said, "NHS England spends 拢250 million each year on providing orthodontic treatment. Each child's need for orthodontic treatment is assessed against The Index of Orthodontic Need; a child will receive NHS treatment if they meet the agreed criteria".

This clip is originally from 5 live Breakfast on Thursday 19 February 2015.

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