Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what NHS treatment pathways are available to adults who experience functional dental or maxillofacial problems following orthodontic treatment received during childhood.
Answer
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given on 7 September in response to Questions 19469 and 19470 , which sets out our approach to concerns about longer term impacts of orthodontic treatments. No central records are held of incidents relating to patients raising concerns about suffering from long-term complications following orthodontic treatment. Responsibility for commissioning specialised orthodontic services is delegated to integrated care boards, supported by guidance on standards for treatments. These include Clinical standards for dental specialties – orthodontics, published by NHS England, and the Peer Assessment Rating Index, published by the British Orthodontic Society. The documents are available at the following links: https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/clinical-standards-for-dental-specialties-orthodontics/ https://bos.org.uk/professionals-members/the-peer-assessment-rating-par-index/
Verdict: RED (22/100)
The reply only partly answers the question. It does not say how adults with functional dental or maxillofacial problems after childhood orthodontic treatment can get care. It refers back to an earlier answer, states that central incident records are not held, and describes how local commissioning bodies and NHS England standards work, which is useful context but not a direct answer about access. The questioner would likely need to ask again for a specific treatment pathway.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| What NHS treatment pathways are available to adults who experience functional dental or maxillofacial problems following orthodontic treatment received during childhood? | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The reply never names a treatment pathway for adults with functional dental or maxillofacial problems after childhood orthodontics; it points to an earlier answer (seq 1), says no central incident records are held (seq 2), and describes ICB commissioning and the NHS England standards and PAR index (seqs 3–5), which bear on the service context but not on how an adult accesses care. |