AQW 33901/22-27 Written question to the Minister of Health
To ask the Minister of Health for an update on orthodontist provision in North Down.
Asked by Connie Egan MLA on 20 October 2025
- Answered
- Written
- Tabled
- 20 October 2025
- Answer due by
- 4 November 2025
- Answered
- 28 October 20258 days after tabling
- Department
- Department of Health
- Priority question
- No
Answer
All general dental practitioners in Northern Ireland can provide orthodontic treatment under the General Dental Services contract without a specialist qualification.
A number of high street specialist orthodontic practices are located across Northern Ireland, with one such practice with four specialist orthodontic dentists located in Bangor, County Down, listed below.
HSC Dentists at specialist orthodontic practices at 30 June 2025 in North Down Assembly Area
| Dental Practice | Practice Address | Dentist Name |
| BANGOR ORTHODONTICS | 2 BINGHAM LANE, BANGOR, BT20 5DR | MS J A FINLAY |
| MR CONOR ARMSTRONG | ||
| MR KARL GRIMES | ||
| MR PETER TURNER | ||
Across Northern Ireland there are an additional 24 specialist orthodontic practices. Patients can be referred by their general dental practitioner to any of these specialist practices.
Furthermore, there are Dentists with Enhanced Skills in Orthodontics who provide orthodontic treatment in non-specialist practices, however none of these have made arrangements with the SPPG to provide orthodontic treatments at any of the dental practices in the North Down Assembly Area.
I am aware that there has been in increase in waiting times for orthodontic treatment through specialist practices due to increased demand for treatment and the small number of specialists who are working in practice.
Sustainability of the orthodontic workforce is influenced by a number of factors including the available dental workforce. There are currently a number of Dental Core Trainees working within orthodontic specialty in the School of Dentistry, Belfast.
As of September 2025, there are two orthodontic specialist trainees in post completing the consultant training pathway. In recent years the School of Dentistry has been unable to support orthodontic specialty trainees seeking to complete qualification for entry to the orthodontic Specialist List due to lack of capacity within the consultant team to support the programme.
The Northern Ireland Medical and Dental Training Agency are actively exploring innovative solutions to support orthodontic provision in Northern Ireland. This includes the establishment of a Diploma in Orthodontic Therapy, which began in June 2025, for the first time in Northern Ireland. Orthodontic therapists carry out a range of orthodontic treatment, under the direction of an orthodontist or dentist, as part of skill mix team in specialist practice.