‘It gives them confidence...you only need to see them smile’

But now, thanks to NHS orthodontic treatment, she has greater confidence and can get on with life without having to worry about her overcrowded mouth.

Kate, from Musselburgh, is now 13. She was born with a heart defect and has also suffered problems with her hearing, sight and kidneys.

Her mother, Susan, says: “As well as this she had very overcrowded teeth and she kept saying, ‘Mum, why is it me all the time?’ We said it was because she was special. But she kept worrying about it and was really down.”

The family were referred for orthodontic treatment and Kate wore braces for 18 months to correct her teeth.

“When her braces were removed, it was incredible the difference it made in her,” Mrs Irvine says. “She became much more confident. She now has beautiful teeth.”

Mrs Irvine says her other two children have also received orthodontic treatment and she believes it is right for people to be able to access this on the NHS.

“It gives them the confidence that they need. You only need to look at them and see them smile,” she says.