NHS Treatment in St Cross at a Glance
| NHS dental services | NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight 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 | 16.7% (Census 2021) |
| Aged 10 to 15 locally | 5.9% of 1,839 residents, the main age band for NHS orthodontic treatment |
| Nearest practice listing NHS | Winchester Orthodontic Practice, Winchester — under a mile; 10 within 10 miles |
| Nearest secondary schools | Kings' School — 1.3 miles The Westgate School — 1.3 miles |
| Area type (ONS) | Urban: Nearer to a major town or city |
| Daily activities limited by health | 16.3% 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 St Cross
On our practice register: 12 practices within 5 miles of St Cross, 23 practices within 10 and 59 practices within 20. The closest is Winchester Orthodontic Practice, 0.1 miles north-west. The nearest listing NHS orthodontics is Winchester Orthodontic Practice, 0.1 miles north-west.
| Practice | Distance | NHS | Private | Google rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winchester Orthodontic PracticeWinchester | 0.1 miles north-west | ✓ | ✓ | 5.0 (101 reviews) |
| St James & Chesil Dental PracticeWinchester | 0.9 miles north | ✓ | ✓ | 4.5 (106 reviews) |
| GG OrthodonticsWinchester | 1.0 miles north | ✓ | ✓ | 5.0 (338 reviews) |
| Oliver's Battery Dental SurgeryWinchester | 1.2 miles west | ✓ | ✓ | 4.6 (169 reviews) |
| The Smiles StudioEastleigh | 5.8 miles south-west | ✓ | ✓ | 4.8 (477 reviews) |
| PortmanDentex Solent OrthodonticsNorth Baddesley | 7.2 miles south-west | ✓ | ✓ | 4.9 (118 reviews) |
✓ listed in the practice's own information; – not mentioned, which doesn't mean not offered. Straight-line distances.
Nearest places to St Cross with practices listing NHS orthodontics
The closest town with practices listing NHS orthodontics is Winchester, 0.1 miles north-west; the next are Eastleigh (5.8 miles south-west) and North Baddesley (7.2 miles south-west).
| Place | Practices | Nearest |
|---|---|---|
| Winchester | 4 | 0.1 miles north-west |
| Eastleigh | 1 | 5.8 miles south-west |
| North Baddesley | 1 | 7.2 miles south-west |
| Southampton | 3 | 8.7 miles south |
| Romsey | 1 | 8.7 miles south-west |
| Portswood | 2 | 9.1 miles south-west |
Counted from the practices on our register around this place, nearest first. Straight-line distances.
Best-reviewed practices within 20 miles of St Cross
Of the practices within 20 miles with at least 10 Google reviews, the highest rated is GG Orthodontics in Winchester (5.0 from 338 reviews), 1.0 miles north.
| Practice | Google rating | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| GG OrthodonticsWinchester | 5.0 (338 reviews) | 1.0 miles north |
| Winchester Orthodontic PracticeWinchester | 5.0 (101 reviews) | 0.1 miles north-west |
| Specialist Endodontic CentrePortswood | 5.0 (92 reviews) | 9.7 miles south |
| Oakley Road Dental PracticeSouthampton | 4.9 (205 reviews) | 10.4 miles south-west |
Ratings are each practice's public Google review average and say nothing about clinical quality. Straight-line distances.
The NHS route from St Cross, step by step
| Step | Where it is from here |
|---|---|
| 1. Your dentist screens | The nearest general dentist on our register is Westgate Dental Clinic, 1 miles away. They check the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need and refer. |
| 2. The NHS orthodontic practice | The nearest practice listing NHS orthodontics is Winchester Orthodontic Practice, under a mile away. Referrals go to a practice with an NHS contract. |
| 3. Who commissions it | NHS dental services around St Cross are commissioned by NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board. |
NHS orthodontics is free for eligible under-18s and is reached by referral. Distances are straight-line.
Eligibility for NHS braces is decided by a clinical scoring system, not by appearance alone. It measures the complexity and impact of the problem, and only cases above a threshold score receive NHS funding. Understanding the scoring in advance means a more informed conversation with your dentist.
Adult NHS Orthodontic Access in St Cross
Adults (18 and over) are rarely eligible for NHS orthodontic treatment in St Cross. NHS funding for adults is generally limited to severe clinical cases — such as jaw surgery patients or those with significant cleft palate-related needs. Cosmetic adult orthodontics is not NHS-funded.
If you are an adult seeking straighter teeth, private treatment is almost certainly your route. Many practices serving St Cross offer competitive fees and flexible payment plans across fixed braces and clear aligner options.
How Eligibility Is Scored
The Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN) is the two-part scoring system orthodontists across Hampshire use to decide whether a patient qualifies for NHS treatment.
The Dental Health Component (DHC) grades severity from 1 to 5:
- Grade 1 — No treatment need.
- Grade 2 — Little treatment need: mild malocclusion.
- Grade 3 — Borderline: moderate malocclusion.
- Grade 4 — Treatment need: severe malocclusion impacting dental health.
- Grade 5 — Very great need: most severe cases including impactions and large overjets.
The funding line sits at grade 4. Grade 3 cases go to a second measure — the Aesthetic Component, scored 1–10 from photographs — so a borderline case with strong aesthetic impact can still be funded.
Eligibility in St Cross — Local Context
Waiting times for NHS orthodontic treatment in Hampshire differ considerably between practices and can change over time.
What's available in St Cross depends on the practice, so it's worth checking directly what each one offers. By national deprivation ranking, St Cross sits among the less deprived areas of England. Most NHS orthodontic treatment begins between ages 10 and 15, and that band makes up 5.9% of the 1,839 residents in St Cross's census neighbourhood, below the 7.1% average across Hampshire. St Cross — urban: Nearer to a major town or city by ONS classification — is covered by NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board for NHS dentistry. Census data puts 16.7% of St Cross's population at under 16. Secondary-age pupils near St Cross attend schools such as Kings' School (1.3 miles) and The Westgate School (1.3 miles). 3 secondary schools are within three miles. With 12 orthodontic practices within five miles, St Cross is better served than 79% of towns in England. See local practice availability in St Cross → If you or your child do not meet the IOTN threshold for NHS treatment, private orthodontic care with no eligibility barrier and no waiting list is available from local practices, typically ranging from £1,500 to £5,500 depending on treatment type.
Frequently Asked Questions — NHS Eligibility in St Cross
Where is the nearest orthodontist to St Cross?
On our register, the nearest orthodontic practice to St Cross is Winchester Orthodontic Practice, about 0.1 miles to the north-west. The next closest are City Bridge Dental & Implant Clinic (0.9 miles) and St James & Chesil Dental Practice (0.9 miles).
How many orthodontic practices are near St Cross?
Our register has 12 practices within 5 miles of St Cross, 23 practices within 10 miles and 59 practices within 20 miles.
Is there an NHS orthodontist near St Cross?
The nearest practice to St Cross that lists NHS orthodontic treatment is Winchester Orthodontic Practice, about 0.1 miles to the north-west. Others nearby include St James & Chesil Dental Practice (0.9 miles) and GG Orthodontics (1.0 miles).
Is St Cross a family area?
Around 16.7% of St Cross's residents are under 16, per the 2021 Census.
What NHS area is St Cross in for dental services?
St Cross sits within NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board for NHS dental commissioning.
Is St Cross rural or urban?
By ONS classification, St Cross falls under urban: Nearer to a major town or city.
How deprived is St Cross compared with the rest of England?
By the national deprivation index, St Cross is less deprived than most of England. It doesn't affect NHS orthodontic eligibility, which is decided on clinical need alone.
Is there a private alternative if I don't qualify?
Yes — all orthodontic treatments are available privately with no eligibility threshold and no waiting list. Options include fixed braces, clear aligners, Invisalign and lingual braces.
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 Hampshire
Explore nhs treatment information for other towns and cities in Hampshire — all with dedicated local pages and online assessment access: