Today’s question is from Jessica:
Is there any way to save on orthodontics? I have read about orthodontic insurance and discount cards, but it is still very expensive. Some braces even cost $7,000! Yikes! Any suggestions or ideas on how we can save money on orthodontics? -Jessica
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If you have insurance, use it. Also, check around with different orthodontists. Some offer discounts if you come during certain hours, as these are typically slow hours earlier in the day. Many also allow payment plans to help you afford the braces on your time frame. Even if you use a dentist that is not under your insurance, typically your insurance will pay a certain percentage towards the braces. Hope that helps!
Good luck I wish I had some advice to give we have two insurance providers my husband is retired military and we pay $109 a month for dental insurance though his retirement and we pay $70 a month for the dental insurance his employer offers and it is still going to cost us about $200 a month out of pocket. We don’t have a preferred provider within 100 miles so I will file the claims with the insurance companies myself and I hope to get the $200 back but who knows if I will or how long it will take. We still have about 18 months left in braces.
I would see if you have a dental school in your area. My daughter is going to get her braces at SLU and it’s half of what you are paying. Also, some will be cheaper if you go during the week school hours and no weekend appt. Also with my daughters it was 375.00 first visit 375.0 second visit them $100.00 a month so it was so much easier to fir into budget!!!
A lot of people in my area use a dental school, too. However, I have chosen not to as there is a $3 per visit parking fee, and the appts can last quite a long time, mostly waiting. I usually will have my younger children with me as we homeschool. Also, since appts are often monthly, make sure that you chose somewhere that is close as that is a factor, too. Don’t want to drive 45 miles one way every month! (Unless you plan your once a month shopping around that day, too.)
You can see if there is a dental school in your area. We did that with my daughter and saved a ton. Appointments are inconvenient but worth the 2k we saved.
We ave no dental insurance, so I signed up for Ameriplan (a discount plan, not insurance), which gives you 25% off orthodontics. Then we got recommendations from our dentist for an orthodontist who took our discount plan, shopped around, and got another 10% off by paying for all the treatment up front. We used credit card with cash back points and paid it off the same month. What would have cost $3-5K without insurance at several other orthodontists, but we paid $2000 (after all discounts and cash back). Recommend only one set of Xrays–then take the X-rays and the competitions’ treatment plans with you when you go to the other places. As with most purchases, you have to take the time to shop around, and ask what the discounts are available.
I work for a local government and they have a program for a flexcard that is used like a credit card for copays and anything medical that is not fully covered by your insurance. Needless to say I am in braces in adulthood for the second time and I did this plan to pay for my braces once again. How it works is you decide on the amount during open inrollment in November and the money is on your flexcard in January. An even amount of deduction are taken out monthly and you do not have to pay the tax. Also, while reviewing my insurance plan it states that they will pay $1000 for any of your children 19 and under. It is always a good idea to check and recheck your policies because you can be missing out on significant savings.
This is a great idea. We do the same through my husband’s work. However, you do have to be careful you know what type of plan it is. My husband’s employer offers an FSA, which the money expires at the end of each year. So if you don’t use all that you have put into the card by December 31st, you lose the money. However, I switched my insurance this year to a High Deductible health insurance plan. While that may not always work for everyone, my family of 4 rarely has to visit the doctor other than normal checkups. With that high deductible plan also comes a health savings account. It’s vitually the same as the FSA, however the money you put into it rolls over each year and you never lose it. My daughter is nearing the age where she’ll need braces and I’m hoping over the next 2-3 years I’ll be able to save enough to pay for the braces outright – no payments!!! Some places will give discounts if you pay in full up front.
We used the HSA account as well. In addition, my employer gives us the first $1000 in the spending account each year because the premiums are MUCH less for them, so that helped as well. Consider what my daughter’s teeth were before and after the treatment, it was worth the total cost of $5K (between me and the insurance, not my share).
We do the same thing through my work’s flex-spending. Our daughter’s orthodontist let’s you set up a payment plan. We did have to pay a $900 deposit and then split the rest over two years using the flex spending card. Braces are expensive but worth it in the end. Make sure you research the orthodontist and get the best. It will definitely be worth it in the end.
Definitely use insurance – it helped us a lot. But there are some things in life that are worth spending the money on. Getting a substandard treatment will cost you in the long run – especially if the teeth revert back to where they were. Now if it’s strictly cosmetic then perhaps it can be forgoed but if it’s not then you might as well go for the high-quality orthodontics. But remember high-quality doesn’t always mean the most expensive. We went with one of the highest-rated orthos in our area, and I know he cost less than the one we were otherwise referred to. Get at least one if not two second opinions.
Even though my daughter is only 8 we have already gone through braces. My daughter had a crossbite so our dentist was concerned that she would break a tooth or two. So we went to the orthodontist he recommended. Our initial consultation was free, and they gave us a firm price for the whole time. It included all the checkups, xrays, fittings, retainer, etc. Then they said if we paid all of it instead of payments we could have a 10% discount. So we figured out how long to save the amount ($1250 – 10%) and scheduled her appointment. After that payment we haven’t paid anymore for the more than a year in the braces.
Also double check your regular health insurance, some of them do cover certain instances of ortho. The ortho we used did all the checking for us.
I don’t know about orthodontics, but many in the med. community will give a discount if you are able to pay in cash – it saves them a lot in paperwork, etc. If that isn’t an option, contact your ins. provider, they may know of a ‘special deal’ one of the providers offers. I do this w/my glasses. My ins. doesnt cover the glasses, but I get a 30% discount on them anyway, bc I have the insurance. I would also aggressively ‘comp shop’ – pay the small office fee to go and get qoutes from any orthodontists in your area. Be prepared w/ x-rays and copies of measurements, etc that your reg. orthodontist has taken. A second opinion might lead to a different conclusion also…maybe not as much work is really neccessary. Hope that helps.
Usually if you pay in full you can get a % off the full price.
The only thing I can recommend is taking advantage of an employee hsa so atleast you don’t get taxed on the 7k. or pay it in a year with other medical expenses, all at once, so you can write off out of pocket medical
Maybe you could approach an orthodontist about trading something you can do for braces.My sister-in-law is a massage therapist, and she traded massages for braces for her daughter. My own son designs websites and traded making a website for driver’s ed. Also he arranged things so that his younger brothers maintain the schedule on the website in exchange for their driver’s ed tuition.
Sandy, your son sounds awesome – looking out for his younger brothers too!
if you have a dental school in the vicinity, see if they have a teaching clinic. Here in St. Louis, St. Louis University has one, and almost everyone I know has gone there/taken their kids there. You have to wait a little longer, but they’ve saved 25-30% on average.
Definitely agree! We live in Cleveland and there is a dental school at Case Western Reserve Univ. We had to pay cash up front ($3,000), but putting 3 kids through braces (after ins. reimbursement) has cost us about what we would have paid to have just one child get braces.
Shop around. I found that prices for the same treatment in my area varied in price from $4000 to $7500! The cheaper guy was not a cut rate shopping mall type place either. Orthodontists set their own prices. We paid in full and saved big. Four out of 5 of our children had braces and I am glad we made the investment for them. Our youngest daughter was in braces and retainers for 10 years but we avoided her having to have major surgery on her face and jaws by starting early.
I would definitely call around to all your local orthodontists as prices and opinions vary widely. You can usually get a cash discount if you pay up front. Also ask about how long it will take as they will sometimes divide it into even payments interest free over the course of the treatment. Ask about lost retainers or if wisdom teeth come and they move or anything that could be a variable that will make the costs go up. As a rule, the invisalign are about double the regular costs of braces. If your case is not too complex, a dentist that does braces is sometimes cheaper than an orthodontist.
Jessica, we do have insurance, but braces are so expensive still! Thankfully we live close to Oklahoma University and they have a dental school in downtown OKC. We researched it online first and then called to make an appointment. They charged $25 to see our child and see if they were a candidate for their program. Yea, they were! So we had to wait about 9 months for the next year’s students to start class and we had our first appointment. They said that our child would get the new Invisalign braces. Another YEA! Through the school it is a flat rate of $3200 no matter what type of braces you get. We paid $800 as a down payment. Then we pay $100 per month till the balance is paid minus what our insurance pays. What we like about the program: Lower cost, the student dentist does nothing without the approval of the actual Orthodontist, great results so far and we have been in the program 12 months. The down side: Not too much flexibility in appointment times. The Ortho that does the Invisalign is there only once a month. Appointment times range from 30-40 minutes.
Other than that, it is a huge BLESSING to our family.
Most of all do your research for your local area and ask plenty of questions. We wish you the best!
We have one kid with braces and two who will soon be needing them and our insurance does not cover orthodontics, so I feel your pain! As some commenters have already mentioned, our orthodontist offers a 10% discount if you pay in full at the beginning of treatment (instead of being billed monthly). After doing the math, we concluded that that was our cheapest option, so we went ahead and paid in full.
I am interested in hearing what others have to say about buying them without insurance. I have needed braces for a long time, and after we are finished paying off debt next yr, I hope to get them. I’m afraid my treatment will probably be on the higher end, since my mouth is severely crowded and it’s more of a space issue than an alignment issue. I’m banking on it being near $10k :-/
With children, the space issue is usually resolved with an appliance that widens the jaw over time, but I don’t know how it’s done in adults. They would probably end up pulling a couple teeth and then straightening the rest. I don’t think the cost would be so much higher than typical braces. But, still, I feel your pain- I’ve had braces twice!
Rachel, I’m finishing up over two years of braces as an adult, and I had the same situation as you. My ortho told me initially that there was a very good chance they’d have to pull teeth, but that he would do everything in his power not to, as pulling teeth creates less-than-stellar results in the long-term (especially as you age). If I were you, I would shop around for an ortho who isn’t tooth-pulling happy. Also, my treatment ran kinda high in price, BUT as the others have said, paying in total with cash up front gave me a huge discount. I also got in on a promotion my ortho was offering during the summer to new patients, so be sure to ask about any promotions like that.
I have paid for all 4 of my kids orthodontic bills and it is pricey. Check with friends about orthos and visit/ get a consultation at more than 1. We visited 4 before we found one we really liked. In my situation I knew all 4 needed braces, but could not afford to pay for all at once. I was just brutally honest with the Dr. and told him I could pay for 1 at a time, so he could prioritize. He did. The office gave us no intrest financing and we paid each month. When one kid was finished, we moved to the next one. The office gave us a 10% discount for each subsequent child. Every little bit helps. We also talked to the Dr about different procedures that he recommended and alternatives. A few times we could go to our dentist and the procedure was covered under dental rather than ortho insurance.
LOL….this brings back memories. When, I was younger we could not even afford the discounted dental school. But that would definately be the way to go. However, in the end I finally got my braces on when I was 28 and could finally afford it.
My oldest daughter wore braces for 3 years. Our insurance paid $2000. We paid $12000 down and then $107 a month for 30 months to pay off the balance.
We are still not sure if our youngest will have to have braces. I am hoping not but if there are any ways to get it cheaper I would love to know.
I meant 2 say $1200 down not $12000. LOL
I was wondering!
Those were some REALLY expensive braces! LOL
I’d love to know as well- I have 2 in braces right now.
Instead of braces, I had an orthodontic retainer. It cost about $500 and moved my teeth just like braces would. The only downside is that it takes dedication and willpower to leave the retainer in at all times except when eating and brushing your teeth.
I have 2 boys in braces at the moment so I know all about the cost! My husband is a pastor so our budget is tight. First, shop around, not all dentists charge the same, it can vary drastically. We found a dentist we love and he offered a payment plan. If we paid 100% up front, there was a discount but we were not able to do that. One big thing to ask is if the price is all inclusive rather than priced as you go. Our dentist gave us a price for the whole process so even if they are in braces longer than expected it will not cost us anything additional.
You can look into insurance but many of them put a cap on ortho. We pay out of pocket for dental insurance and our carrier just added a ortho plan but the lifetime cap is $1000 which we all know is not going to cover it.
The other option is to see if there is a dental school in your area. You can often get services for less money. We do happen to live near a dental school and it involved an application process to be accepted. Be prepared for longer wait times though. In the end the dental school was about $700 cheaper but with the longer travel and wait times we decided not to go that route.
I imagine the cost can also vary according to your area. I am in upstate NY and the cost for my boys was $3900 and $4400, my younger son needed a spacer before getting braces so his cost was $500 more.
If you have a flex plan at your work those dollars can be used towards the dental. Pre-tax dollars help!
Yes, that “all-inclusive” or “firm quote” is important. I had to have braces twice, and pay in advance was the way to go. My jaw continued to grow after the rest of me stopped while in braces, and I had to have surgery (from a surgeon, of course, at additional cost) and then go into braces again for them. We had to bring up the fact of our pre-payment to the ortho to get him to honor it. He’d forgotten that we’d “done it that way.”
If your child is in grade school, I would think twice about starting braces now. Unless your dentist thinks there is a very serious reason to begin braces in grades school, I would say wait until late middle school/high school. I (and my husband) had braces in high school, and it worked out fine. My observations of kids today, is that starting braces earlier only causes the child to have braces even longer, costing more $$. MANY kids my childrens age ended up wearing braces twice because their teeth moved back to bad alignment as they got closer to high school age. Our dentist urged me to have my kids teeth evaluated by an orthodontist when they were in grade school (they were pretty crooked), but I decided to wait. Luckily, by the time they reached high school their teeth has straightened out on their own.
I totally agree with this! Wisdom teeth can wreak havoc on a smile and those don’t usually come in until the teen years.
I totally agree. I had braces around 11-12 yrs old, faithfully wore my retainer through my teen years, and still had major shifting AFTER having my wisdom teeth removed becasue of the extra space. I had to have a second round of braces in my 20′s.
I’m going to give a serious side-eye to any dentist who tries to push braces for my daughter at a really yound age.
Agreed! We had 2 dentsits push us to start visiting the orthodontist when my son turned 9. I waited until he was 11. The ortho we visited took a look at him and said,” I could start treating him now, and take a lot of your money. But, it would just result in longer treatment and more cost to you. There’s no point.” We are visting every 6 months or so to see what adult teeth have come in. When enough have moved into place, then he will start treatment. I’m so glad we found an ortho with integrity.
Teeth don’t move if you wear your retainers….I got my braces off 11 years ago and faithfully wear my retainers at night. As long as you wear retainers, they don’t move!
That’s not necessarily true. There are factors that will fight with a retainer. Wisdom teeth are a pretty strong force in the mouth. As are 12 year molars for those who started braces early. The degree of crookedness you dealt with in the beginning coupled with your jaw’s “memory” of where it thinks the teeth should be . . . all play a part in tooth shifting.
Um not, when you have significant structural changes such as the addtion or removal of teeth.
This really depends on the situation, though. Some orthodontic problems are much easier to correct when the patient is younger. And not many people are lucky enough to have their teeth straighten out on their own!
I agree! My son needs a hyrack (phase 1) before getting the actual braces, which will be in about 2 years or less. This phase 1 is going to cost us $2,500.
My husband had head gear, the works and still has a wire in his mouth at age 31. I needed braces but never got them because my parents couldn’t afford them. Now, our dentist claimed that our daughter would need them… she was THREE years old at the time! What kind of racket is that?!
I just don’t understand how so many people can “need” braces. Historically, did all humans have such terrible jaws and teeth? I mean, really. How much of it is truly a need for dysfunctional jaws?
I felt as you did when my dentist told me my daughter would need braces at a Very early age. So I waited until she was in middle school and had FIVE adult teeth stuck under the gums. The roots closed so they will no longer move on their own and now she has to have surgery to expose them so they can slowly be moved into place. If you’re going to wait just make sure you stay on top of it and get someone you trust!
Well my son truly needs them. He has a horrible crossbite and has actually done permanent damage to his jaw because he shifted the lower jaw in one direction to try to get his teeth to fit together properly, which of course they wouldn’t do because of the crossbite. Over time when a bite is this bad he would be cracking teeth, which would result in root canals and crowns and much misery. I agree that most people don’t really “need” them, but some people do.
Jessica-
Historically people have not needed orthodontia. For some brief history and information see westonaprice.org
I wish my parents had skipped. Orthodontia has caused nothing but grief to me in my adult years. I may end up with partials due to the misalignment.
I am SO glad to hear this! My dentist recommended that my 8yo son see an orthodontist to start the “expanding” process, but I have reservations, because like you said, his mouth is still growing!! Sometimes I wish we lived in a different country where straight teeth didn’t matter so much, but here, it has become a social status issue, and it seems that to be successful, you gotta have a straight, white smile!
My oldest son had an expander put in at age 8, to help avoid crowding later and reduce or eliminate the need for braces. It is cranked wider and then left in place. They can only do the expander at that age because the jaw bone space seals with bone as they get older. So he jaw is now wider and will seal with bone in this position. Our dentist did the work.
As a dental hygienist…
I will say that it is a good idea to have your child see an orthodontist around age 7. This is true especially if your family (or pediatric) dentist recommends it. Unfortunately, there are many cases where “two phase” orthodontic treatments only end up prolonging treatment time. However, if you find a good conservative orthodontist, he will be able to tell you if this is completely necessary. There are skeletal malformations that, if not treated at a young age, can become VERY expensive and PAINFUL to treat if left until the teen-age years to treat.
If you don’t know of a great orthodontist in your area, I recommend getting a consult with at least 3 in your area (usually the initial consult is free of charge), just make sure you bring your panorex x-ray with you, so they don’t try to charge you for that!
Also, I would like to point out that there is a difference between a true board certified ORTHODONTIST, and a GENERAL dentist who does braces also. If your child needs any more ‘involved’ treatment, I strongly recommend a true orthodontist. It would be worth the extra money!
Just like with medical care, definitely get a second (or third) opinion. I think that some orthodontists have a tendency to “up-sell” and you end up paying for a lot more than what you need.
I totally agree with getting a second opinion. Our dentist told us that our son should see an orthodontist because he would soon need braces (he was 8 or 9 at the time). We did go to the orthodontist for a consultation, and they gave us information on braces and asked him to come back in 6 months, presumably to get braces that at that time.
Before the orthodonist visit, for my kids’ next dental checkup, I took them to a pediatric dentist that my friend had raved about for years. Since our insurance didn’t fully cover their fees, we had to pay a little extra out of pocket, but I feel it was totally worth it. The dentist said his teeth were perfectly fine at that point and there was no need to get braces (we have continued to see that dentist and her opinion is still the same).
Wow I had no idea that braces were so expensive. I think its time to start a saving category titled “Braces” to go along with “college”
My father-in-law is an orthodontist, so I know braces are very pricey. One thing he has done with some patients is trade services. For example, he has a mechanic and they have worked out a deal for trading services. My FIL gets car work and the mechanic’s kids get braces.
Another idea is to look into the different options. And keep in mind, not all orthodontists are the same. It is worth spending more money to get a perfect braces job versus saving some for an okay job.
Both our dentist and our orthodontist have told us to wait until all their baby teeth are lost and the permanent teeth have come in (except wisdom teeth) to get braces. They said that the teeth may shift otherwise, causing longer (and probably more expensive) treatment. We did have to put one of our 8 year olds in braces because of an underbite that was affecting her jaw growth. We paid half down and the rest in monthly installments (all through our HSA – so tax free).
Actually we did the 2-phase braces because every year my daughter’s overbite was getting worse by 1 degree (you could see it in the photos). He just put braces on the top 4 teeth when she was 9-10 years old. They were only in for about 6 months. Then, once all her adult teeth were in she got full braces. She was only in full braces for about 15 months which greatly reduced that time. For some kids it is a good idea.
Our dentist office offers a discount when things are paid for upfront. We also bartered – my husband fixed their computers and I got Invisaligne! Wonderful deal for all involved!
I definitely recommend paying upfront or bartering, and shopping around. Most expensive does not always mean the best.
Good luck!
Also, I recommend getting another opinion and being certain that braces are really needed.
We started taking our oldest to the ortho when she was in 4th grade. There can be early treatment issues which are best resolved by, well, early treatment. Luckily, our daughter did not have any of those. The ortho did not charge us during the year and half or so before treatment started. The ortho took xrays and measurements during this time, but we did not have to pay anything until the sixth grade, which is when she was ready for treatment. I wondered why you now see more elementary aged children wearing braces than back in my era. One reason is that there are issues which necessitate early treatment. The other reason is that parents can’t stand seeing their children with crooked teeth! That never even crossed my mind. We paid for the ortho treatment with a combination of insurance and flex plan. Orthodontics is one of those things worth planning, saving and plotting for! Good luck!
I would make sure, sure, sure that you child really NEEDS the braces. It seems, these days, that so many dentists and orthos recommend them simply for cosmetic reasons, and many times, even those reasons are minimal. Our daughter had no choice (she was missing teeth, etc) but to have braces, but our boys, who I think have fine teeth, have both been recommended to see the ortho and get “checked out”! I am thinking that unless it’s something major, we are skipping the braces for the boys. And, I just don’t know if I trust the ortho to tell us they DON’T need braces! Will see.
Off topic: is anyone else having trouble with this site loading extremely slowly? I have been having problems in Firefox and Safari.
It is loading super slow for me too! You might want to get your sons checked out because they may have issues you dentist notices but that you can’t see, like their bite may be off. I would try a couple and see if any friends can recommend an orthodointist that they trust so you know that they are being honest with you
Yes! It has been loading extremely slowly for me, too.
I have a crooked tooth on the bottom. You can not see it unless I pull my bottom lip down and show you. My mom’s bottom teeth look exactly the same. She had braces twice and both times the tooth went crooked again (of course this was years ago so I’m sure the technology is better). My parents opted not to get braces for me since my mom was convinced the tooth would just go crooked again. I’m 34 and not bothered by it at all. You still can’t tell unless I show you by pulling down my lip. Of course, our dentist (who is wonderful) recommended we see an orthodontist to fix it, but we never did.
If available, use a flexible spending account to have the money taken out of your paycheck pre-tax.
Many dental plans have an annual limit and some do not cover orthodontics at all. If your child needs a lot of work, insurance may only cover a portion of it.
My parents couldn’t afford to get me braces through an orthodontist, so we talked to my regular dentist and found out that he would be willing to do it cheaper. He wasn’t as experienced, but he still did a great job. Might be worth checking around with local dentists.
Jessica,
I recommend you write to Gayle at The Grocery Shop Challenge she is a wonderful lady and can help with the whole braces matter. If you want some great first hand advice.
Why oh why do people think they need to start braces on their children so early? You are wasting your money. I’ve asked friends why do 8-10 year olds get braces, my friends laugh and say b/c orthodontists have bills to pay… Wait until they are older and more developed like in high school. Go to a dental school/university and get a big discount on the cost like mentioned above, your care will be really no different…and you will get the newest cutting edge dental materials used! Start young only if your child has a major deformity. Consider this, as you age and grow, the teeth do move! Trust me…I’ve been through braces and retainers for years and years and as an adult with retainers again. It makes no difference if you go to a super expensive place or a more affordable place. The teeth do move over time.
I agree with most of what you said, except for the starting early part. My son (now 10) had some work done when he was 7. He had a rotated molar that, in a 7 year old, was as easy to fix as wearing “buttons” with a rubberband for 2 months. It cost us $100. Both our pediatric dentist and the orthodontist told us that if left until age 13, the issue would have taken years to resolve and cost thousands of dollars. Even then, it may not have been completely corrected. Each child is different, and usually the initial consultation is free. Sometimes things caught early are MUCH less expensive to correct, and save the child a lot of time in treatment. I guess this is an issue where you really have to trust the orthodontist. If you think they’re in it “to pay the bills,” perhaps its time to find a new doctor
There really is some wisdom in the early braces. Every situation is different, but we are really thankful for our orthodontist. Not all orthodontists are in it just for the money. We have 3 out of our 6 kids in braces for many issues–overbites, crowding, etc. I am very thankful for braces! It’s been a huge sacrifice for us, and my husband has to work an extra job in addition to his preaching job, but it’s well worth it.
I have to jump in here and disagree. I had a severe overbite (my thumb fit between my top and bottom teeth) as well as serious crowding of my teeth, since my jaw wasn’t big enough for my teeth.
My mother straight up refused to let me see an orthodontist when my dentist recommended it, at age 8, because I had baby teeth and she felt that my jaw might somehow grow overnight. It didn’t. The crowding got worse, to the point of being painful instead of just ugly. My ortho had to put me in this awful Bionater, which held my mouth closed to work on the overbite, followed by 3.5 years of braces, which were barely off by senior photos. All of this because my mom thought she knew better than the professionals. I wouldn’t have needed braces for as long as I did if the problems were addressed earlier.
I was the oldest of 5 and we all needed both appliances and braces. After the second kid my mom talked to our orthodontist who we loved and asked if we could negotiate a “group deal” if she brought the rest of the kids to him for braces. He ended up charging my mom the same amount for the rest of the kids braces that he had charged for mine- a saving of more than 50% by the time the last kid came around. He said that he liked that we were always on time, never missed appointments, and always were well behaved and good mannered and that was the big reason he wanted to make sure we stayed with his practice.
Yes my kids ortho gave us the sibling discount, no interest, and charged us the same price for all 3 kids. Yet, it still was 14,000 and about 5,000 insurance paid. 1st kid ortho was covered at 60 percent! Other 2, 1,000 each. The 1st kid to have that insurance meant we had a dentist we didn’t like for just about 2yrs. 3rd child is in the home stretch, wear the rubber bands and Mom only owes 300 bucks! I started the girls between 6th grade and 7th grade, so they were off by about 9th grade. Good luck everyone!
I had braces from age 9 – 13, which my parents paid for. When I was 23, I was involved in an accident that caused my teeth to shift, so here I am at 26 in braces again. (I got them 2 weeks ago, so this is a very recent experience!)
As an adult, my insurance won’t pay for them. I visited 4 orthodontists for free consultations to discuss pricing and payment options. I had considered paying for a discount program for $14 a month, but each ortho I visited advised against it – it is cheaper for me to pay out of pocket than to pay for the monthly payments plus the premium due to the hidden costs etc.
I signed up for a automatic debit, which saves me 5% off the total. I also discussed working on their website and social media campaigns to help reduce the cost. Not every office was interested, but it worked out in my favor.
I was upfront that money was an issue and that I was shopping around. They need the business right now because most people are foregoing orthodontia and other dental work until the economy gets better, so they were willing to work with me.
So other than being a 26-year-old in braces, this has been a positive, money-saving experience for me
If your dental problem is due to an auto accident you should check with your auto insurance policy. They should cover it. If it’s from another type of accident it might be possible that your medical insurance would cover it. Did you check with them?
Thanks for your comment – however it was not do to an auto accident, and my medical insurance will not cover “cosmetic” procedures. I’m stuck paying for braces on my own.
There’s a fine line between medical and dental insurance – I have seizures also which requires a special bite guard when I sleep. Medical won’t cover it because it’s designed to protect my teeth, and dental won’t cover it because they say seizures should be covered under medical.
Broken record here – almost.
Dental School is a great suggestion – definitely check it out.
Shopping around is also a worthwhile thing to do. You meet the office staff, get a chance to know what the waiting room is like, and your child meets the staff to learn who might be working in his/her mouth.
The child’s compliance with the treatment is key. If she/he doesn’t do what the doc recommends, treatment will take longer. (No chewies, stickies, or gum / floss regularly / wear rubber bands as directed) This is where meeting staff is important – what (if any) incentives for your child to comply.
If you have dental insurance, they may pay a portion (not all)
Pay upfront, with a rewards credit card if you can, but only if you can pay off the credit card when the bill comes due. Most orthodontists do offer some sort of discount for paying in full.
Whether you pay up front or work out a payment plan, be sure to take advantage of your Flexible Spending Account, or your Health Savings Account. Either of these may be offered by your employer.
Lastly, take distance into account. You’re going to drive to/from the office as often as once a month – or more. You don’t want to have to drive an hour each way!
I don’t what my parents spent on braces for myself and my siblings, but my parents saved a lot of money by offering to pay cash up front. They simply asked our orthodontist if they could pay for all the orthodontics care up front and received a deal.
I’d make sure to get a couple of opnions, not just prices. We went to a few different Orthos for my step-daughter, their opinions were split 50/50 on whether to do braces right away or to wait 6 months to a year. Well we chose to wait, in a yearher teeth had straightened out on their own and we didn’t pay a dime. I’m not at all suggesting that would be or is the case with your child, but if an Ortho says you can wait a little and see, then you may want to explore that option.
Just FYI, some children start ortho at a young age because they have space issues, not because orthodontists are greedy. My daughter started treatment that includes expanders on the top and bottom, and braces on the adult teeth she has, when she was 7 years old which is recognized by orthodontists as an ideal time to begin treatment in children with small mouthes. Waiting until all adult teeth come in could actually cause treatment to be much more expensive, difficult/painful (ie having to have teeth removed), and it might not be as successful. Once all her adult teeth come in she will have a second round of ortho that includes a full mouth of braces. It is always best to follow the recommendation of your dentist
Exactly! My son had bite issues and needed the top expander. Had he not started this at age 7, he might have ended up like a coworker of mine who had to have jaw surgery in her 30s to correct similar bite issues (and spent six weeks with her jaw wired shut to heal after the surgery!). After about age 12, the jaw stops growing. Our orthodontist charged a flat rate and said that if he needed a second phase of braces as a teen, there would be no charge. He’s nearly 16 now and hasn’t needed the second phase. Get a few opinions and ask a lot of questions so you can make an informed decision.
So true! We’re going with the palette expanders now while the kids are young to avoid all the bite problems I’ve had. My parents waited till I was 15 for braces and at that point I had teeth pulled instead of palette expansion and have spent thousands out of pocket correcting the bite as an adult (since it’s no longer covered at my age).
I also agree with you gals! This is why my son is starting phase 1 then phase 2 in about 24 months.
Wow! Thank you so much, ladies, for your input! My daughter has a tiny mouth, and has had quite a bit of dental work done already. She is six, and has two adult teeth that absolutely do not fit into her mouth. I can’t imagine where the rest of the teeth are supposed to go! I have already planned on braces for her, but had no idea that they could start as young as 7. Our dentist has said she will need braces, but she didn’t say that we should start so young. I will definitely get another opinion or two after reading these posts!
This! I had space issues, and my parents chose to wait 5 years after my dentist mentioned the problems because they somehow felt that my jaw would “grow” ….. instead of realizing that my larger adult teeth would take up more room!
My teeth HURT by that point, and I need over 4 years of orthodontic treatment to correct the mess.
Check with dental schools. They offer affordable care that is very well supervised (or should be) by faculty orthodontists. Also, ask if they have a cash plan if you can swing it to get a discount.
Shopping around? I don’t know if thats a great idea. You paid 3,000 instead of 7,000 but the dentist does a bad job and they need to be fixed. That is 3,000 wasted. I’d get reviews first (from previous customers).
definitely shop around…Our insurance wouldnt cover it unless it was an extreme case(like affecting eating or something) and the orthos in our city vary greatly on prices…the cheapest one we found(which we went with) was $4,400(and he was cheap but i found rave reviews from people I know who used him) which includes everything…xrays, his arch extender, his bands, any supplies he needs(floss, wax, etc) and his retainer afterwards on up to around $8,000. Thankfully, his insurance covers the flouride he needs. we couldnt come up with the WHOLE amount at once but we put down a large down payment(he wanted $600, we paid $1500) and thankfully there’s no finance charge or anything for the monthly payment.
we found an orthodontist who doesn’t charge for office visits unless they actually do work. This has worked well since my 2 oldest have gone every 6 months for the past 2 years or so, just for consults (we’re waiting for the “perfect” time to start work).
They also offer payment plans and that is a lifesaver since our dental insurance doesn’t cover orthodontics
My son is is six and I have been told for two years now that he will be an ortho patient one day because he has a 100% overbite. Anyone know if that is something that they start early or do we have a while?
It all depends on which teeth he has lost and which permenent teeth have come in. Ask people in your area who are pleased with their ortho. work, and then let the ortho. make that call.
You want to take care of the overbite while they still have a lot of growing left to do. Then less invase measures can be taken, like using headgear. ? I think I was 9 when I got my headgear, and it wasn’t any too early to have started.
My son was diagnosed with an overbite by our pediatric dentist when he was around 10. We followed up with a orthodontist and he wore braces and night time head gear for 2 years and 2 months (starting at age 12).
Start early! I had a serious overbite and crowding, and the correction once all of my adult teeth were in was seriously painful and took much longer than it should have. I had to use a Bionater, which is a retainer that properly aligns your jaw by holding your mouth closed. I had to use it whenever I wasn’t eating.
The first orthodontist that we checked out was very expensive. I cried. The coordinator was very kind and told me not to feel like I was harming my child because I couldn’t get her braces.
I did find a reasonably priced Orthodontist for my daughter’s braces, I was able to come up with half the money upfront and the Orthodontist was willing to let me make monthly payments with no interest.
Also, I was warned not to take her to places that would do them too cheaply. Research. Make sure that the whoever does the work is qualified by more than being a dentist taking weekend seminars.
I researched many different options for braces for our daughter. I went to specialist and were given prices around $6,000. Then found a great solutions that is spreading through the US… http://www.brightnow.com/ Check it out!!!
Whoa, be careful with Brite Now. My whole family went there once, and they out right lied to my mom about how many cavaties each of us kids had. (Said I had 11!!!) They were covered 100% by our dental insurance, which is why we had gone there. We went back to our previous (wonderful) dentist, and get much better care, without any lies. (I had 3 cavaties.)
My husband had also gone there as a teen, they glued teeth together, filled cavaties that didn’t exist, etc. Now he’s going to my dentist and having to pay the consequences (root canals, improper fillings taken out and being re-done) from going to a “free” dentist.
Hopefully your experience will be great, though.
We just paid cash for my son’s braces. Here are some tips we used. First shop around. We met with 4 different orthodontists. The low end was $4300 (didn’t like him), we had 2 high end quotes of over $6300 and finally the guy we liked best was $5100.
Next we paid cash up front saving 7%. We have dental insurance that will cover $1500 of orthodontics for a lifetime. When we get reimbursed this $1500, we plan on putting it right into savings for the next kid. Good luck!
Others have already said it, but a local university dental clinic is a great way to save on ortho care. That’s where my daughter goes. We’ve had a great experience. My girlie loves her orthodontist (well, at least as much as you can love someone who gives you pain every four to six weeks!). It really is worth checking out!
We did monthly payment out of our checking, but still the bill was $6,800 but since it was out of our acct directly our ortho offered a locked in price and no interest. There are some dentists in our area who do offer some scholarships, like doing community service (the patient) and the child must also submit an essay and an application. It’s only a couple per year, but well worth the shot. I would say if your child really needs it, for self esteem and other reasons, try giving up things like eating out, do meals meat free once a week, sell some unused items at yard sale and such to try to save $. Another option if you are lucky enough, is to ask a grandparent to help out with a partial payment, esp if you can have your child do labor for them like shoveling walks, raking leaves, housecleaning in return.
We put my step daughter through $5K in braces and then my husband through $7K in braces 2 years later. I used our FSA account through my husband’s employer. And we scheduled the braces installation in December each time. I worked it out with the Orthodontist to pay $3000 (the max annual limit for our FSA) in Dec. then the balance in Jan. He gave us a 10% pay off discount both times because it was just 2 payments 1 month apart. This saved us $1200 up front with the discount and $1620 in taxes on income by using the FSA. So $12,000 in braces ended up costing $9,180. Still not cheap, but better.
Thanks for sharing actual numbers, Danna!
Shop around. Most orthodontists (at least around here) will do a free consultation. You can consult with more than one and compare price and what type of orthodontic intervention they will do. In our case with our son who needed a palette expander, one ortho wanted to do full braces to achieve the same thing and of course it cost more. So we went with the ortho that did just the palette expander and saved about 1K. We also got a discount for paying in full. My twins will need orthodontics soon. I was glad to find out that they also provide a sibling discout. It’s not a huge discount, but it helps. My son, (and likely the twins too), will eventually need a second round of orthodontics. My ortho will discount round 2 based on what round 1 costs.
My hubby is a dentist and here’s my advice (or what I’ve learned from him): 1) Little kids without fully developed mouths do not need braces. If they get them too early, their jaw could grow and the teeth could shift any way and they’ll just have to get them again.
2) Find a local dental school (helps if the school has an ortho program). The students will even pay YOU if they use you as a patient during their boards.
I totally agree with this comment. I am a dental hygienist and I see way too many children being put into braces early and then need another set a few years later. Considering what kind of bite alignment your child has, ask your dentist about a palatal expander for early ortho correction. Furthermore, do not go to an orthodontist that recommends premolar extraction. This procedure throws off the bite and creates TMJ problems in the future. Finally, make sure the orthodontist you choose actually sees your child each visit (which is usually every 4-6 weeks) and not just his assistant. All in all consider quality first, then finances.
We’ve found dental insurance well worth it despite the cost. Overall, we were just recouping the cost of cleanings, but when anything major is needed, it pays 50% up to a certain cap. We’re just starting with all this orthodontia (and so far, 4 of our 5 will need braces…too soon to tell on the baby) ourselves and getting ready for the palate expander in a couple of weeks.
I have to agree with the others who have suggested a dental school. We have one here in Richmond, VA and it has been such a blessing to our family. It has saved us so much money. The peds department also has Kids Days a couple times a year and they give all the dental work for free. We have had everything from cleanings to sealants to extracts done on those days and all at NO cost to us. Dental work is expensive and thanks to the dental school our five kids have gotten care they won’t have otherwise had. We saved a lot on braces as well. I hope you have one in your area!!
I would talk with your Orthodontist to see if they offer a cash discount. I’ve put three kids through braces and we received a cash discount of 20% with each child. With 2 of the kids we had insurance, but with one we didn’t. Also, check with a few ortho’s to compare prices and see what their patients have to say about them. When it comes to medical and dental the least expensive is not always the best.
I used to work for this non-profit. If you know ANYONE in the country who needs braces ages 10-18, you should apply for this. It is a great program and the orthodontists provide the work pro-bono. I am currently in Dental School, and will be referring to this program when I graduate with my D.D.S.
http://smileschangelives.com/
Hi, Jen,
I was just researching this program the other day. My daughter is only 9 yet, but needs braces VERY badly. (Her teeth on one side are almost completely sideways, and she even chews with only one side of her mouth.) But, we have no insurance and are very low income. I feel so awful to not be able to help her. Do you know how many kids are approved for this program each year or what our chances would be to get into the program?
Thanks!
Where do you live? they are trying to get as many children in braces every year as they can. They have no cap, but it depends on if the area you live in is saturated. They only have a certain amount of orthodontists who can only take a certain amount of kids per year. I’d recommend you apply, and if there are no orthodontists in your area, they will find you one. Hopefully that helps! You can always call them and they’re happy to ask answer any questions you may have-very helpful girls in the office. Good Luck!!
Katie – Do you work? If not, you could get a job that is opposite of your spouse or while your daughter is in school.
Jen,
Thank for the info. We have one more year before she is ten, but I will keep it in mind!
Sara,
I do work parttime. It is hard to get more hours than what I have now due to my husbands schedule. He is a pastor and we often have ministry commitments that either pop up suddenly or that are in the evenings as well.
We have always been debtfree, but pastor in a community where there is a lot of manufacturing work, so many of our church people have lost portions of their income in the past three years. As a result, our benefits AND pay have been whittled away the past several years as well, so there’s not much left for extra stuff. We have been VERY blessed though, to be debtfree, otherwise we would really be struggling now! : )
Having your husband in ministry makes it extremely difficult. Thank goodness you are debt free! When I was the age of your daughter I started babysitting to pay for my activities, so maybe you can convince your daughter to do that:) Most kids would not go for that though:)
Exactly.
Every mouth is of course different, but this is the basic idea.
Check around and see if there is a dental school nearby. They will often do work on a sliding scale under the supervision of an experienced dentist. Also, check you dental policy to see if you have coverage for orthodontics. If you do not, but your child needs this work for other than cosmetic reasons it may be covered under major medical.
Finally, shop around just like you would for any other major purchase. Different dentists can have a huge difference in what they charge.
Good luck.
I have 2 kids in braces and one to start soon and our dental insurance doesn’t cover braces at all.
We use the Health Savings Account on my husbands health insurance policy to set money aside each paycheck for the braces. The savings side on this is it’s pretax. Plus I know the money is there and not something I have to worry about out of the checking account.
Also, have to agree with some of the comments above about shopping around for orthodontists. Prices can vary by thousands. I know people who have paid $3000 for expander and a couple braces, but the orthodontist we go to is about half of that.
As others said shop around. We were quoted anywhere from $3500-6000 for the same work. The lower price was from an orthodontist who was recommended to me, but he had just left a group practice, and was starting out on his own. So he had lower prices so he could build his new practice.
If you have a university with a dental clinic nearby, it’s worth a call to find out their prices. My sister in law got estimates for her 2 girls from some local orthodontist – anywhere from 10-11g for both girls (total). She called WVU’s dental school and both girls had their braces done for 5500. Less than half price. Everything was supervised by an actual dentist, but the students did the work. It was a great experience. You do have to pay “up front”, but they offered a same as cash program. If you know braces are coming up, don’t forget to use your employers FSA.
I don’t have any good input on how to save money on braces, but I would like to comment of the timing of orthodontics.
My daughter is 13. She needs/will need braces as her mouth is tiny and some teeth are behind other teeth. She’s finally lost all her baby teeth and the dentist is ready to go ahead with braces.
We’ve chosen to wait until she older, more mature and ready for braces. We fight her every single day for her to brush her teeth. I refuse to put braces on her when she refuses to take care of her teeth now.
So we will wait, and hopefully the expense isn’t higher because we wait.
If you or your spouse has a flexible spending benefit at your job, you can put away up to $5000 each year in pre-tax funds to help with those expenses. At least you could get a tax benefit!
This couldn’t have come at a better time! We just went to our first ortho appointment yesterday! We were referred to a specialist so my checkbook is already screaming at the thought of the $$ about to be dropped!
Ask for a discount if you pay with cash. Can you save and pay all costs up front? This saved us a bundle! (6 of our 7 children had braces ~ last set of braces came off 3 weeks ago). We let them file the ins., let the ins. pay all they could, then tried to pay cash for the rest ~ but you have to ASK for a discount, they don’t just offer it normally.
Also, take a copy of the x-rays from the dentist to the ortho., they could use the same ones and not charge you for more x-rays. Also, from the ortho to the dentist (you may have to get them to request from each office if they won’t give you the x-rays). But you paid for them and no sense paying double if you don’t have too.
My daughter just got her braces off (and she looks great) and it would have cost us $5500. Our insurance paid $1000. We also got discounts for paying up-front 10% off and by starting in November or December, another 10% off. All pre-treatment appoints were free, to assess when she would need to start. We have no dental school nearby to help out, so that was not an option but is a good idea. My in-laws also gave us a $1000 (truly an unexpected blessing) and God provided me with a temporary job to pay for the rest. I would call different orthodontists to see if they have specials at any time of the year but be careful to talk to friends who have used the orthodontist to make sure they are legit and competent. FYI, some dentists say they can put on braces, do orthodontics, but are not trained in that field, they just have taken a class or two. A dental hygenist friend steered us away from someone like this because she has seen other clients teeth be truly messed up from his incompetence. Good luck.
I am dreading the orthodontist dilemma as well. My 8-yr will be there soon enough for me to have kept my eyes open for a deal as well. In our area, we have several orthodontists that participate in our local schools scrip programs, so you earn “cash back” at school for book fees, registration costs, etc. Add that to insurance, and it does provide quite a bit of a discount.
I have friends that bought their child’s orthodontic treatment at a silent auction to benefit their school. The orthodontist donated a full package to the school for the auction. They already new that their daughter was going to need braces that year so when they saw it at the auction they jumped. I think they paid about $2,000.00 for what would normally cost $5,o00.00. Plus I think they got some sort of tax write off because the auction benefited the school. Seems that everyone won, the orthodontist got publicity, the school made money and they saved a bundle on the braces.
I need help deciding on which treatment plan to go with for my 9 year old son who has an underbite. (This is probably the only aspect of our finances that I don’t want to base on getting the best deal. I just want to get the best treatment for him.) We have seen 3 orthodontists and they all have a different opinion on the treatment:
(sorry I must have hit the wrong key)
-The first orthodontist recommends a palate expander and braces with a full set of braces later. The expander will push the upper jaw forward and the braces will pull the bottom teeth back. He will wear the expander approximately 4 months and the first set of braces 14-16 months. His staff is slightly rude. Cost for Phase 1 (everything before the 2nd set of braces) is $3900.00. They promise a steep discount on Phase 2 (the later set of braces) but won’t say how much it is. He is located locally. He is highly recommended by our pediatric dentist, my dental hygienist, and others. His children go to school with mine.
-The second doctor recommends a palate expander and reverse pull head gear. The palate will be expanded (by turning the key at home) and then reversed at the doctor’s office. This will trigger the jaw to grow. The head gear will attach to the expander and will be worn 12 hours per day for a year–never worn to school but worn practically the whole time he is at home. (I just don’t think that we can do that and not end up psychologically damaged.) My son is supposed to log the amount of time that he wears his head gear and turn it in at each visit. I did talk to the assistant, who spoke to the doctor, and the doctor agreed that we could cut back from 12 hours per day to just sleeping but it may take more months to accomplish our goal. Phase 2, will be a full set of braces later. This doctor teaches one day per week at a dental university. His motto is that nobody should wear braces more than once. A member of his staff told me that I may just be wasting my time and money if my son is not going to be compliant in wearing the head gear 12 hours per day. The cost for phase 1 is $2900.00 He is located across the river-just a 20 minute drive.
-The third doctor recommends the reverse pull head gear, (no palate expander), braces on the top and a removable bottom retainer. My son will wear the head gear 8 hours or so per day for 6 to 8 months and then the braces will be applied. Plus a full set of braces later. His staff is great. He is also located across the river.
-I’ve heard only good things about all three of these doctors and I really don’t know which way to go. None of them guarantee that the treatment will even work. Again, I don’t want to base my decision on the cost OR the attitude of the staff (but I think a happy staff speaks volumes about the doctor). I’m looking for successful treatment that will not completely stress my kid. The assistant at the first doctor told me that whatever plan I choose that my son should definitely have the palate expander–but the third doctor does not think that it is needed. We would like to avoid jaw surgery in the future.
-HELP!! Please give me your opinions.
That is a tough decision to make, hope you are able to find some guidance!
I can’t offer much advice, but I had the same problem and recommendations at that age and here’s what worked for me! I ended up having a spacer on top for a year, then the palate expander twice (not the most fun, but effective). My ortho thought I would need the reverse headgear and we were all set to go for it, but I think the expander worked well enough for me that I didn’t need it. I did have braces for 2 years after, and retainers since. I ended up having 4 adult teeth pulled as well, but avoided jaw surgery. That’s what worked for me!
Practical advice we didn’t think of before – if you go with the palate expander, try to schedule it after school pictures. My pictures hit right at the end and I had a very large gap
I was told with each of my children that they needed to see an ortho when they were about 7…My teeth are perfect and my mother said they had also told her that about me at that age…she waited and my teeth are great….So I took the watch and see approach with both of them..Watched as teeth fell out, and some did take a long time to come in but…..son is 14 and daughter is 11….And the dentist that told me to take them..told me the other day that he couldn’t believe how perfect their teeth were…I think a lot of dentists are jumping the gun with little kids and braces…
Being an adult, I knew no insurance would cover braces for me. So I checked with one orthodontist and was quoted $8,000!!! For crying out loud – that would buy a decent CAR!!! So I figured I’d never have straight teeth… 1.5 years later I checked into it again and heard about FastBraces – they’re a much faster option and cost me just 1/4 of the $8,000. They also offer financing. You can find a location by going to http://www.fastbraces.com/. 1/4 of the money and half the time I was originally quoted was worth it for me!
Please shop around! Interview different orthodonists. Some will start treatment too early just to get the extra money. My son’s ortho waited between a year to 2 years to start treatment as he still had some of his baby teeth. They did the Xrays and evaluation without any cash up front and didn’t start us on the payment plan until he actually was getting the braces. My payment were only $150 a month and we had no insurance.
I told my dentist point blank that we needed to be on a budget (while still getting decent care obviously). He recommended 2 orthodontists that were more reasonable than the others in our area (who all wanted $5k to start). We went to free consultations with both and ultimately picked the one we liked better – fortunately they were the closest to our home and were also the cheapest. It was a great decision. They gave us a discount for payment in full up front and our total OOP ended up being just below $3900 for a savings of $1100! Best of all, once we paid (via our Medical Flexible Spending account so we paid w/tax free $$$) we didn’t owe another dime for the braces, appointments, adjustments, broken brackets or retainers. 16 months later he is done with braces and still going back for free check ups with the retainers. They did a wonderful job and he has a beautiful smile!
Check out the dental school in your state/area and see what discount they may offer you. Dental schools usually can do some services at a discount and the student will have an instructor with them the whole time.
Consider the T4K trainers. Our two children have had correction of their overbite, overjet, and teeth spacing with these inexpensive mouth pieces. They also correct tongue thrust, teeth grinding, etc.
The trick will be finding a dentist who will track the progress with routine follow up appointments. The closest dentist we could find is two hours from our home.
http://www.myoresearch.com/cms/index.php?t4k
Shop around! When my son got braces a few years ago, I got 5 estimates. The estimates are usually free. I found that 5 different orthodontists had 5 different plans and 5 different prices! I consulted with our dentist about the best plan and asked that orthodontist to match the lowest price. The price was matched even though it included a more proactive plan and additional appliances. We saved about $800! Also, set aside money before taxes if your employer offers a health savings account. This can be spread over two years for orthodontia.
Get a second opinion!! This is a big ticket item and most families just go to the first orthodontist their dentist recommends, but when we got the estimate we decided to do a free consult with another guy. The difference was $2000 and he mentioned fixing all the same things as the first one. His office wasn’t near as fancy–no video games in the waiting room or computers to check in on–but we’ve been happy with the results and the money saved!! Side note–our ortho didn’t offer a discount for paying up front so we went with the monthly payments. . .