NHS Treatment in Custom House at a Glance
| NHS dental services | NHS North East London Integrated Care Board |
|---|---|
| NHS orthodontic charges | Free for eligible under-18s; adults pay Band 3 (£332.10) |
| Deprivation | More deprived than most of England |
| Residents under 16 | 21.9% (Census 2021) |
| Aged 10 to 15 locally | 8.8% of 1,656 residents, the main age band for NHS orthodontic treatment |
| Nearest practice listing NHS | Phoenix Orthodontic Practice, London — under a mile; 19 within 10 miles |
| Nearest secondary schools | Royal Docks Academy — 0.2 miles Kingsford Community School — 0.7 miles |
| Nearest university dental hospital | Royal London Dental Hospital, London — about 4 miles |
| Area type (ONS) | Urban: Nearer to a major town or city |
| Daily activities limited by health | 13.5% of residents in the surrounding census area (Census 2021) |
Sources: Census 2021 (NOMIS), DfE Get Information About Schools, ONS geography, UK NHS dental charge schedules and our orthodontic practice register. Distances are straight-line.
Practices listing NHS orthodontics near Custom House
On our practice register: 37 practices within 5 miles of Custom House, 151 practices within 10 and 339 practices within 20. The closest is Phoenix Orthodontic Practice in London, 0.8 miles north-east. The nearest listing NHS orthodontics is Phoenix Orthodontic Practice, 0.8 miles north-east.
| Practice | Distance | NHS | Private | Google rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix Orthodontic PracticeLondon | 0.8 miles north-east | ✓ | ✓ | 4.2 (314 reviews) |
| Docklands Dental HouseCanning Town | 1.4 miles west | ✓ | ✓ | 4.5 (448 reviews) |
| The Nightingale ClinicWest Ham | 1.4 miles north | ✓ | ✓ | 4.4 (602 reviews) |
| Align & Smile OrthodonticsBlackwall | 2.0 miles west | ✓ | ✓ | 3.6 (34 reviews) |
| Green Street Dental PracticeWest Ham | 2.1 miles north | ✓ | ✓ | 4.6 (392 reviews) |
| Smilepod - Canada Place - Invisalign, Emergency, Dental Implants & General DentistryCanary Wharf | 2.4 miles west | ✓ | ✓ | 4.5 (227 reviews) |
✓ listed in the practice's own information; – not mentioned, which doesn't mean not offered. Straight-line distances.
Nearest places to Custom House with practices listing NHS orthodontics
The closest town with practices listing NHS orthodontics is London, 0.8 miles north-east; the next are Canning Town (1.4 miles west) and West Ham (1.4 miles north).
| Place | Practices | Nearest |
|---|---|---|
| London | 2 | 0.8 miles north-east |
| Canning Town | 1 | 1.4 miles west |
| West Ham | 2 | 1.4 miles north |
| Blackwall | 1 | 2.0 miles west |
| Canary Wharf | 2 | 2.4 miles west |
| Barking | 1 | 2.5 miles north-east |
Counted from the practices on our register around this place, nearest first. Straight-line distances.
Best-reviewed practices within 20 miles of Custom House
Of the practices within 20 miles with at least 10 Google reviews, the highest rated is SE9 Dental Care in Eltham (5.0 from 47 reviews), 4.2 miles south.
| Practice | Google rating | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| SE9 Dental CareEltham | 5.0 (47 reviews) | 4.2 miles south |
| Banning Dental Group and Skin Clinique - Canning TownLadywell | 4.9 (1,108 reviews) | 3.9 miles south-west |
| S3 Dental ElthamEltham | 4.8 (849 reviews) | 4.0 miles south |
| AR Smiles Eltham - Implants, Invisalign and Cosmetic DentistKidbrooke | 4.8 (797 reviews) | 3.0 miles south |
Ratings are each practice's public Google review average and say nothing about clinical quality. Straight-line distances.
The NHS route from Custom House, step by step
| Step | Where it is from here |
|---|---|
| 1. Your dentist screens | The nearest general dentist on our register is Smilepod, 2.5 miles away. They check the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need and refer. |
| 2. The NHS orthodontic practice | The nearest practice listing NHS orthodontics is Phoenix Orthodontic Practice, London, under a mile away. Referrals go to a practice with an NHS contract. |
| 3. The hospital for complex cases | The nearest university dental hospital is Royal London Dental Hospital in London, about 4 miles away. |
| 4. Who commissions it | NHS dental services around Custom House are commissioned by NHS North East London Integrated Care Board. |
NHS orthodontics is free for eligible under-18s and is reached by referral. Distances are straight-line.
The NHS orthodontic pathway in Custom House focuses limited resources on the greatest clinical need. Eligible under-18s get excellent clinical outcomes at no cost. Knowing what the NHS can and cannot provide makes the NHS-versus-private decision clearer.
NHS Orthodontic Access in Custom House
NHS orthodontic treatment is free for under-18s who meet the clinical threshold. Adults who do qualify pay the NHS Band 3 charge, £332.10 in England from April 2026, which covers the whole course. NHS waiting times in Greater London are not fixed — they depend on the referring practice and local demand at the time.
Provision in Custom House varies by practice — it's worth comparing more than one before committing. By national deprivation ranking, Custom House sits among the more deprived areas of England. OHID data for this ICB shows 31% of 5-year-olds with visible dental decay. In the census neighbourhood around Custom House, 8.8% of the 1,656 residents are aged 10 to 15, above the 6.8% average across Greater London, the age band in which most NHS orthodontic treatment begins. The nearest university dental hospital to Custom House is Royal London Dental Hospital, London, about 4 miles away, where hospital orthodontic referrals are seen. NHS North East London Integrated Care Board is the NHS body responsible for dental commissioning in Custom House. Officially, Custom House is categorised as urban: Nearer to a major town or city. Census figures show 21.9% of the local population is under 16. Families in Custom House are served by secondary schools including Royal Docks Academy (0.2 miles) and Kingsford Community School (0.7 miles). 35 secondary schools are within three miles. DfE figures put 111 schools and 62,621 pupils across Custom House's Local Authority. With 34 orthodontic practices within five miles, Custom House is better served than 97% of towns in England. There is no orthodontist on our records in Custom House itself. The nearest recorded are Phoenix Orthodontic Practice in London, under a mile away; Docklands Dental House in Canning Town, about a mile away; and The Nightingale Clinic in West Ham, about a mile away. NHS capacity is limited — practices often have closed lists for new NHS patients, which is why private treatment is the realistic route for many adults and for those who cannot wait.
How Long Is the NHS Wait in Custom House?
Many patients in Greater London wait 18 months or longer between NHS referral and treatment starting. During this period teeth continue to develop and cases can become more complex. Private treatment, while more expensive, begins promptly and offers far greater choice of treatment type.
What NHS Treatment Costs in Custom House
On the NHS, one course of treatment runs from fitting right through to retainers, with nothing added along the way.
Equivalent private metal braces in Custom House typically run £1,500–£3,500 — far more than NHS treatment, but with no waiting list and a wider choice of appliance.
Am I Eligible for NHS Orthodontics in Custom House?
Whether you or your child qualifies for NHS treatment in Custom House comes down to a structured assessment. The Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN) is the primary tool used across Greater London to decide who receives funded treatment. This guide explains how IOTN works, who qualifies, and what private options exist if you don't.
Understanding the IOTN Score
Whether the NHS funds treatment comes down to the IOTN score, a standardised two-part measure used right across Greater London.
Kids' Braces & Interceptive Treatment in Custom House
Children's orthodontics in Custom House covers a spectrum from early monitoring to active interceptive treatment. Parents in Custom House increasingly bring children for a first assessment around age 7-8. Early review can prevent more complex problems later and simplify treatment when it does begin.
Interceptive Orthodontic Treatment for Children in Custom House
Space maintainers hold open the gap left by a prematurely lost baby tooth, preventing neighbouring teeth from drifting in before the adult tooth erupts.
Frequently Asked Questions — NHS Treatment in Custom House
Where is the nearest orthodontist to Custom House?
On our register, the nearest orthodontic practice to Custom House is Phoenix Orthodontic Practice in London, about 0.8 miles to the north-east. The next closest are Docklands Dental House (1.4 miles) and The Nightingale Clinic (1.4 miles).
How many orthodontic practices are near Custom House?
Our register has 37 practices within 5 miles of Custom House, 151 practices within 10 miles and 339 practices within 20 miles.
Is there an NHS orthodontist near Custom House?
The nearest practice to Custom House that lists NHS orthodontic treatment is Phoenix Orthodontic Practice in London, about 0.8 miles to the north-east. Others nearby include Docklands Dental House (1.4 miles) and The Nightingale Clinic (1.4 miles).
How many families live in Custom House?
21.9% of the local population is under 16, per the most recent Census.
Which county covers Custom House?
Custom House is in Greater London.
Which towns are close to Custom House?
Nearby towns include Upton Park, Plaistow South, Canning Town South.
How many schools are in Custom House's area?
Custom House's Local Authority has 111 schools educating 62,621 pupils (DfE data).
Are NHS orthodontic charges the same across the UK?
No — NHS dental charges are set separately in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. What stays the same everywhere is that eligible under-18s pay nothing. Adults who do qualify pay the NHS Band 3 charge, £332.10 in England from April 2026, which covers the whole course.
Last updated: October 2026, compiled by the Virtual Consultant Online editorial team from our practice register and public data. Information is for educational purposes only and does not constitute clinical advice; it is not reviewed by a clinician. Sources: NHS, General Dental Council. How we compile our information.
NHS Treatment Across Greater London
Explore nhs treatment information for other towns and cities in Greater London — all with dedicated local pages and online assessment access: