NHS Treatment in Follingsby at a Glance
| NHS dental services | NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board |
|---|---|
| NHS orthodontic charges | Free for eligible under-18s; adults pay Band 3 (£332.10) |
| Deprivation | Less deprived than most of England |
| Residents under 16 | 10.9% (Census 2021) |
| Aged 10 to 15 locally | 5.2% of 1,206 residents, the main age band for NHS orthodontic treatment |
| Nearest practice listing NHS | Alpha Dental Care - NHS Dentist Stockton, Wallsend — 2.1 miles; 13 within 10 miles |
| Nearest secondary schools | Heworth Grange School — 1.4 miles St Joseph's Catholic Academy — 1.4 miles |
| Nearest university dental hospital | Newcastle Dental Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne — about 5 miles |
| Area type (ONS) | Urban: Nearer to a major town or city |
| Daily activities limited by health | 17.9% 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 Follingsby
On our practice register: 17 practices within 5 miles of Follingsby, 42 practices within 10 and 55 practices within 20. The closest is Alpha Dental Care - NHS Dentist Stockton in Wallsend, 2.1 miles north. The nearest listing NHS orthodontics is Alpha Dental Care - NHS Dentist Stockton, 2.1 miles north.
| Practice | Distance | NHS | Private | Google rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha Dental Care - NHS Dentist StocktonWallsend | 2.1 miles north | ✓ | ✓ | 4.9 (111 reviews) |
| Grange Road West Dental PracticeWallsend | 3.1 miles north | ✓ | ✓ | 4.7 (96 reviews) |
| Windmill Orthodontics GatesheadLamesley | 3.1 miles west | ✓ | ✓ | 5.0 (4 reviews) |
| Windmill North Tyneside OrthodonticsNewcastle upon Tyne | 3.6 miles north-west | ✓ | ✓ | 4.6 (98 reviews) |
| WINDMILL ORTHODONTICSNewcastle upon Tyne | 3.6 miles north-west | ✓ | – | – |
| NEO ORTHODONTICSNewcastle upon Tyne | 4.1 miles north-west | ✓ | – | – |
✓ listed in the practice's own information; – not mentioned, which doesn't mean not offered. Straight-line distances.
Nearest places to Follingsby with practices listing NHS orthodontics
The closest town with practices listing NHS orthodontics is Wallsend, 2.1 miles north; the next are Lamesley (3.1 miles west) and Newcastle upon Tyne (3.6 miles north-west).
| Place | Practices | Nearest |
|---|---|---|
| Wallsend | 2 | 2.1 miles north |
| Lamesley | 1 | 3.1 miles west |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | 4 | 3.6 miles north-west |
| South Shields | 3 | 5.1 miles north-east |
| Sunderland | 2 | 5.3 miles north-east |
| Gosforth | 1 | 5.9 miles north-west |
Counted from the practices on our register around this place, nearest first. Straight-line distances.
Best-reviewed practices within 20 miles of Follingsby
Of the practices within 20 miles with at least 10 Google reviews, the highest rated is Breeze Dental in Sunderland (4.9 from 641 reviews), 5.4 miles south-east.
| Practice | Google rating | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Breeze DentalSunderland | 4.9 (641 reviews) | 5.4 miles south-east |
| Queensway Orthodontics - BillinghamNewcastle upon Tyne | 4.9 (122 reviews) | 4.6 miles north-west |
| Alpha Dental Care - NHS Dentist StocktonWallsend | 4.9 (111 reviews) | 2.1 miles north |
| St Michael's Dental PracticeSouth Shields | 4.9 (106 reviews) | 5.1 miles north-east |
Ratings are each practice's public Google review average and say nothing about clinical quality. Straight-line distances.
The NHS route from Follingsby, step by step
| Step | Where it is from here |
|---|---|
| 1. Your dentist screens | The nearest general dentist on our register is {my}dentist, 3.6 miles away. They check the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need and refer. |
| 2. The NHS orthodontic practice | The nearest practice listing NHS orthodontics is Alpha Dental Care - NHS Dentist Stockton, Wallsend, 2.1 miles away. Referrals go to a practice with an NHS contract. |
| 3. The hospital for complex cases | The nearest university dental hospital is Newcastle Dental Hospital in Newcastle upon Tyne, about 5 miles away. |
| 4. Who commissions it | NHS dental services around Follingsby are commissioned by NHS North East and North Cumbria 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 Follingsby focuses limited resources on the greatest clinical need. The process starts with your dentist, includes a formal eligibility assessment, and places you on a waiting list. The main limitation is waiting time, which can be substantial across Gateshead.
How Long Is the NHS Wait in Follingsby?
Many patients in Gateshead 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.
NHS Orthodontic Access in Follingsby
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 Gateshead are not fixed — they depend on the referring practice and local demand at the time.
Treatment range and appointment slots differ between the practices covering Follingsby — comparing a couple is worthwhile. National deprivation data ranks Follingsby among England's less deprived areas. OHID data for this ICB shows 22.3% of 5-year-olds with visible dental decay. Census 2021 counts 1,206 residents in the neighbourhood around Follingsby, 5.2% of them aged 10 to 15, below the 7% average across Gateshead. For hospital-based orthodontic care, Follingsby is about 5 miles from Newcastle Dental Hospital in Newcastle upon Tyne. NHS dentistry here is commissioned by NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board. Officially, Follingsby is categorised as urban: Nearer to a major town or city. Follingsby's under-16 share, 10.9%, is below the typical level. Families in Follingsby are served by secondary schools including Heworth Grange School (1.4 miles) and St Joseph's Catholic Academy (1.4 miles). 9 secondary schools are within three miles. Follingsby's Local Authority area covers 91 schools and 30,087 pupils, according to DfE figures. Measured by orthodontic practices within five miles (17), Follingsby has more choice than 88% of towns in England. No orthodontic practice is recorded in Follingsby. The nearest we do hold are Alpha Dental Care - NHS Dentist Stockton in Wallsend, about 2 miles away; Durham Family Dental | Gateshead in Lamesley, about 3 miles away; and Denmark Street Dental Practice (Westmount Dental) in Felling, about 3 miles 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.
What NHS Treatment Costs in Follingsby
An NHS course covers the entire treatment: appointments, the brace, adjustments, de-bonding and retainers.
Equivalent private metal braces in Follingsby 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 Follingsby?
NHS orthodontic treatment is not available to everyone. Even visibly crooked teeth may score below the threshold, which is why understanding IOTN matters. Knowing where you stand before the referral process saves time and manages expectations in Follingsby.
What Is IOTN?
NHS eligibility is decided by the IOTN — a two-part clinical index applied consistently by orthodontists throughout Gateshead.
Orthodontic Treatment for Children in Follingsby
Children's orthodontics in Follingsby covers a spectrum from early monitoring to active interceptive treatment. Parents in Follingsby increasingly bring children for a first assessment around age 7-8. It means the right treatment at the right time rather than rushing in early.
Interceptive Orthodontic Treatment for Children in Follingsby
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 Follingsby
Where is the nearest orthodontist to Follingsby?
On our register, the nearest orthodontic practice to Follingsby is Alpha Dental Care - NHS Dentist Stockton in Wallsend, about 2.1 miles to the north. The next closest are Durham Family Dental | Gateshead (3.1 miles) and Grange Road West Dental Practice (3.1 miles).
How many orthodontic practices are near Follingsby?
Our register has 17 practices within 5 miles of Follingsby, 42 practices within 10 miles and 55 practices within 20 miles.
Is there an NHS orthodontist near Follingsby?
The nearest practice to Follingsby that lists NHS orthodontic treatment is Alpha Dental Care - NHS Dentist Stockton in Wallsend, about 2.1 miles to the north. Others nearby include Grange Road West Dental Practice (3.1 miles) and Windmill Orthodontics Gateshead (3.1 miles).
Is tooth decay common among young children near Follingsby?
OHID figures for this ICB show 22.3% of 5-year-olds with visible dental decay.
Which towns are close to Follingsby?
Nearby towns include Hebburn Hall Ponds, Low Walker, Concord.
What kind of area is Follingsby?
By ONS classification, Follingsby falls under urban: Nearer to a major town or city.
How deprived is Follingsby compared with the rest of England?
By the national deprivation index, Follingsby is less deprived than most of England. It doesn't affect NHS orthodontic eligibility, which is decided on clinical need alone.
Will I lose NHS eligibility if I turn 18 while waiting?
It's a genuine risk on a long waiting list — NHS funding is age-sensitive, so a case eligible at 16 might be assessed differently at 18. If you're close to that age and eligible now, ask about timescales; it can tip the decision toward going private.
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 Gateshead
Explore nhs treatment information for other towns and cities in Gateshead — all with dedicated local pages and online assessment access: