{"id":9448,"date":"2026-08-18T11:01:11","date_gmt":"2026-08-18T09:01:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/orthodental.si\/en\/orthodontist-waiting-times-in-slovenia-2026-up-to-7-years-and-2-ways-around-them\/"},"modified":"2026-08-18T11:01:47","modified_gmt":"2026-08-18T09:01:47","slug":"orthodontist-waiting-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/orthodental.si\/en\/orthodontist-waiting-times\/","title":{"rendered":"Orthodontist Waiting Times in Slovenia 2026: Up to 7 Years (and 2 Ways Around Them)"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Medically reviewed by: Gordana \u010ci\u017emek, orthodontist<\/strong><\/a> \u00b7 Updated: August 2026 (data: NIJZ, eZdravje as of 17 Aug 2026)<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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If you have just received a referral (napotnica) to an orthodontist for your child and called the first clinic, you probably couldn’t believe what you heard. No, you heard correctly: the current wait for a first orthodontic exam in Slovenia is between 1,751 and 2,821 days<\/strong> \u2013 that is, from just under 5 to almost 8 years. The first available appointments that providers are currently reporting to the national eZdravje system fall in 2031 to 2034<\/strong>.<\/p>

In this guide you will find everything you need to know: what the real waiting times are and how they have exploded over the past decade, how the EFO index works and why the age-16 rule can permanently cost your child their public-insurance (ZZZS) entitlement, what you can do today while you wait, and above all \u2013 two entirely legal ways to start treatment within days instead of years<\/strong>.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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On this page:<\/strong> Waiting times 2026<\/a> \u00b7 2018 vs 2026<\/a> \u00b7 The EFO index<\/a> \u00b7 The age-16 rule<\/a> \u00b7 What to do while waiting<\/a> \u00b7 2 solutions<\/a> \u00b7 Invisalign without waiting<\/a> \u00b7 Prices<\/a> \u00b7 Treatment abroad<\/a> \u00b7 Adults<\/a> \u00b7 FAQ<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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What are orthodontist waiting times in Slovenia in 2026?<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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According to NIJZ data, in spring 2026 the average wait for a first orthodontic exam was 2,166 days (almost 6 years)<\/strong> under the \u00bbregular\u00ab (redno) priority level. And note: a referral marked \u00bbfast\u00ab (hitro) only seems to help \u2013 the average there is 1,949 days, still more than 5 years<\/strong>. The situation as of 17 Aug 2026 (source: the national waiting-times portal (NIJZ)<\/a>, service 1032P \u2013 first orthodontic exam):<\/p>
Provider<\/th>Location<\/th>Waiting time<\/th>First available appointment<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
ZZ Arsmed (shortest in Slovenia)<\/td>Se\u017eana<\/td>1,751 days (~4.8 yrs)<\/td>June 2031<\/td><\/tr>
GO ORTO<\/td>Koper<\/td>2,043 days (~5.6 yrs)<\/td>March 2032<\/td><\/tr>
E.A.T.<\/td>Ljubljana<\/td>2,354 days (~6.4 yrs)<\/td>January 2033<\/td><\/tr>
Jure Volk, s.p. (longest in Slovenia)<\/td>Celje<\/td>2,821 days (~7.7 yrs)<\/td>May 2034<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>

You can check the current figures for your region at any time in the official registry \u2013 but don’t expect major differences: the legally permitted maximum is exceeded by every public provider in the country<\/strong>.<\/p>

How do referrals and priority levels work?<\/strong> The referral for an orthodontist is issued by your child’s chosen dentist, who marks a priority level: \u00bbvery fast\u00ab, \u00bbfast\u00ab or \u00bbregular\u00ab (orthodontic referrals are almost always \u00bbregular\u00ab or \u00bbfast\u00ab). The priority determines the legal deadline for submitting the referral to a provider: with \u00bbregular\u00ab priority you have 21 days from issue<\/strong>, otherwise the referral expires. The provider must then place you on the waiting list within 5 days<\/strong>. Important: for the same service you can be on only one waiting list<\/strong> \u2013 you cannot queue at several orthodontists at once.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Good to know:<\/strong> the wait for the first exam is only the first queue. Once your child has been examined and treatment approved, there is a second queue for the fitting of the braces, which patients report takes an additional 1 to 3 years. The total journey from referral to braces can therefore exceed 8 years<\/strong>.<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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A decade ago months, today years<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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In 2018 the wait for a first orthodontic exam was 263 to 491 days<\/strong> \u2013 from just under 9 months to a little over a year. Even that was too long, but today the same journey is measured in years. In less than a decade, waiting times have grown more than fivefold<\/strong>:<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\tWaiting time for a first orthodontic exam in Slovenia, 2018 and 2026<\/title>Waiting time for a first orthodontic exam in Slovenia<\/text>In days, \u00bbregular\u00ab referral priority \u00b7 source: NIJZ and cakalnedobe.ezdrav.si (August 2026)<\/text>Shortest waiting time<\/text>Longest waiting time<\/text>0<\/text>500<\/text>1,000<\/text>1,500<\/text>2,000<\/text>2,500<\/text>3,000<\/text>(0.7 yrs)<\/text>263 days<\/text>(1.3 yrs)<\/text>491 days<\/text>(4.8 yrs)<\/text>1,751 days<\/text>(7.7 yrs)<\/text>2,821 days<\/text>2018<\/text>2026<\/text>First available appointments at the<\/text>busiest providers: not until 2034<\/text><\/svg>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Sources: NIJZ, cakalnedobe.ezdrav.si. Data for the \u00bbregular\u00ab priority level.<\/p>

A child who receives a referral at age ten today may simply not reach the first exam in time through the regular queue.<\/p>

Why are the waiting times so long?<\/h3>

Surprisingly, not because of a shortage of orthodontists. Slovenia has 97<\/strong> actively working specialists \u2013 77 in the public network and 20 fully private. According to the Medical Chamber’s analyses, the real causes lie elsewhere:<\/p>