Teenagers undergoing orthodontic treatment have been left with nowhere to go
19:59, 30 Apr 2026Updated 20:16, 30 Apr 2026
Two dental surgeries in Cornwall have closed down with zero notice(Image: River Practice)
A dental business with two practices in Cornwall has closed down, suddenly cancelling all orthodontic NHS appointments. River Practice, which has sites in Truro and Penzance, has closed suddenly and is uncontactable.
The dentist and orthodontist is said to have left all of its NHS patients without dental care, including cancelling ongoing orthodontic appointments for teenagers with braces. One parent said she received an email simply cancelling her daughter’s upcoming appointment, while others have received texts.
In the email, River Practice said it is “sorry for the disruption” and is working “urgently” to make arrangements to place patients without care with a new NHS orthodontic provider. A spokesperson in the email said it will be in touch with those patients.
One parent, whose two children were both in the process and due to start orthodontic treatment imminently, said: “The concern is all the patients who are mid-treatment in their orthodontic care. Some people have had emails and some just a text to cancel the appointments.
She added: “I am just very surprised about the closure but also very concerned as children can currently wait three plus years for orthodontic treatment and with River Practice taking a large proportion of patients, I worry how the other services will cope and how this will significantly affect waiting lists.”I think it just highlights the fragility of Dental services in Cornwall and the lack of expertise for orthodontic care. I have one daughter mid-treatment with no follow-up appointment booked now and one daughter who was expecting her braces today.”
The email sent from the dental surgery states: “We are writing to inform you of an important update regarding your NHS orthodontic care. The NHS orthodontic service at River Practice Ltd has now closed, and appointments at this practice will no longer take place.
“We understand this may be concerning and we are sorry for the disruption this may cause. Please be assured that our priority is to ensure patients continue to have access to safe and appropriate care.”
It continues: “We are working urgently to make arrangements for patients currently in treatment and to place you with a new orthodontic provider in your local area. We will contact you as soon as these arrangements are confirmed to let you know what happens next.”
CornwallLive has tried to contact River Practice, but both the Truro and Penzance practices have closed and are not taking phone calls. The Truro business is also listed as ‘permanently closed’ on Google, although the Penzance one is not.
A spokesperson for the NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Integrated Care System said: “The NHS orthodontic service at River Practice has now closed, and appointments at this practice will no longer take place.
“Our immediate priority is to ensure that NHS patients from this practice can continue to access urgent NHS orthodontic care with an alternative provider. Patients already in active treatment are being prioritised first.
“We are currently working with other NHS orthodontic providers to put alternative arrangements in place so that continuous orthodontic provision remains available locally for those impacted NHS patients.
“We understand this may be worrying for patients and we would like to thank them for their patience while alternative arrangements are put in place.”
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