Anyone in Australia?

[Wallflower]

Hi guys,

I already have braces in (linguals on upper, and ceramics on bottom) but may be moving from the UK to Sydney, Oz in a few months.


Can someone tell me if I can transfer treatment? Without having to start again. Also can anyone tell me what the costs are likely to be monthly?

Much appreciated!

[Denise]

I think Sunny is in Australia...I think she also works in an orthodontist office. You may want to send her a message, but she's on here pretty frequently so I bet she can help you!

[Sunny]

Wallflower firstly I recommend you talk to your ortho about your move. At International Training Conventions, ortho's get to connect with many people around the world and since Sydney is such a large city, maybe your ortho will be able to make a connection for you.

If your ortho can't ... as his advice about how you should find your next orthodontist. Sydney has many hundreds of orthodontists, so it would be nice to narrow it down, before you get here.

If not ... as soon as you find where you will be living/working, narrow your list to those closest and start making telephone calls. Explain what has been happening with your treatment and ask what they recommend. Keep going to you've heard a few and then you can visit them and consult with them, to help you choose the right person to finishe your treatment.

I have no idea what they will charge for you to change, but this is something you ask when you consult. We don't charge for the brackets, due to them already being in place, instead we work out the length of treatment and charge from there. We also have a plan where we charge at each appointment ... this one is especially useful for patients who's treatment is nearly over.

Good luck and I'm sure you'll have no problem finding someone to treat you ... it will be narrowing it to one person that may be the problem!

[Wallflower]

Hi Sunny,
Thanks for the helpful reply

Do you know whether I would be able to claim orthodontics on insurance? All my research has found cover for kids! My company provides reimbursements for health insurance, I'm not exactly sure how that works though.

I'd like to get as much info as I can on this! We have the NHS here so I'm un-used to private care!

Appreciate a reply. Sorry if this is slightly off topic

[Sunny]

Wallfower not many private insurance companies cover orthodontics for adults, but if you contact the broker her in Australia, they'll be able to give you a definite answer.

Is this an insurance policy that you have that can be transferred to Australia without loosing any of your current benefits?

If you were to begin a new policy here, there is always a waiting period before any claims can be made and these policies do not cover any existing issues.

We have mostly public medical care here ... but not for things we choose like orthodontics. You may find it will take a bit of getting used to, as we pay to go to the doctor, then we get most of that back by medicare. But ... if you choose to go to a private doctor ... which is more set up for the wealthy, then you don't get any refund from medicare. There's also a lower tear in place for those who can't afford to pay to go to the doctor. Some doctors do what is called 'bulk billing' ... which means you don't have to pay, but instead they claim for your medicare instead. Not a lot of doctors do this, as there can be considerable delay in them getting their money, but some still do.

The best part of the Aussie health care is that most of it's free. My hubby was in and out of hospital for the 12 months he was sick with cancer and it never cost us a cent. Since he died I've had ongoing counselling from the grief and loss counsellor provided by the local Palliative Care Team that helped us, and it's free.

To go to the dentist costs for all things ... I think a checkup and clean is around $100 ... although that will vary depending on where you live. Cities generally cost more and the bigger cities generally cost more than the smaller ones.

Any questions ... please ask. I've lived here for about 13 years and I'm still learning, as it's so different from New Zealand also.

Where are you moving to?

Good luck!

[Wallflower]

Thanks for all the info Sunny

I'll be in Sydney in May. It looks like I'll have to wait a year before I can claim ortho on my insurance. As I only plan on being there for a year it looks like I'll be forking out quite a bit! My other option is to put my treatment on hold for a year until I come back then go back to my regular ortho.

I guess I don't really want to delay it though

[Sunny]

Wallflower check how much you'll be paying ... hopefully it won't be too much.

I go to Sydney quite a lot, as both my children live there. It's a huge city ... and a place I love to visit ... and love to leave!

Good luck with your move and everything going smoothly with your treatment!

[coconut]

Wallflower, if you're going to be paying tax in Aussie, you will be able to claim a portion of the excess of you med and dental bills combined, off tax.

By the time you've factored in the cost of paying insurance premiums for 12 months - while you wait the 12 months in order to claim - compared with what you might get back for your treatment, I'd venture that you may be better off not even bothering to go down this path.

Check your PMs.