A FURIOUS mum whose daughter's teeth after "getting wonky" says they have "wasted 19 months" waiting for an orthodontist appointment, only to be told they now need a new referral. 

Tracey Southgate’s 13-year-old daughter Lola was first referred for orthodontic treatment at mydentist, in Old Road, Clacton, back in June 2022.

Due to the lack of specialists available in the area at that time, she was put on a waiting list, with the family being told she would likely wait for 12 to 18 months.

After holding out for 19 months, however, Tracey decided to contact the practice to find out why they had not yet called her in for her an appointment. 

Gazette: Surgery - mydentist in Old Road, Clacton

She said: “I rang to find out what had happened, and they told me my daughter was on the waiting list but that we should go to the dentist again for a new referral. 

“I was told the practice hasn’t had an orthodontist since March 2023, but no one told me about that. 

“I am very angry, her teeth are getting wonky, and we do not know how long it will take again. 

“We wasted 19 months for an orthodontist that wasn’t even there. And now we’ll have to wait again.” 

Tracey's daughter has now been put on a new waiting list but will have to be sent to a clinic in Ipswich, which has a three-year waiting list.

"I was told we were the lucky ones as we haven’t started treatment yet," said Tracey.

"There are about 400 children in this area who have had braces fitted but cannot carry on with follow-up appointments.

"They have just been left with braces which need attention as their orthodontists have just left the NHS.

"And there is no one around to fix these poor kids' braces."

Gazette:

Other patients have echoed the concerns of Tracy, with many referring to the situation as a “nightmare”. 

Some have even been forced to visit a standard dentist for emergency procedures, despite such dentists not having the skills required to deal with braces. 

Although some private surgeries are available in the area, many cannot afford to pay the higher fees, leaving patients in the town worried about when they will secure an NHS appointment.   

A spokesman for mydentist said: “Due to a nationwide shortage of NHS dentists and despite our best efforts, we are yet to find a replacement NHS orthodontist to join our practice in Clacton. 

“We’re sorry to patients who have been impacted by this.”