How Much Do Braces Cost?

Updated on June 10, 2017
B.H. asks from Temecula, CA
12 answers

My 11-year-old grandson needs braces. His front teeth are tilting backward. We were waiting for him to lose all his baby teeth. Yesterday the dentist quoted us a cost of $5,500.00. Our insurance pays $1,500.00 and you have 20 months to pay the remaining $4,000.00. Is this reasonable? If you or your child has gotten braces recently how much have you paid for braces?

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L.U.

answers from Seattle on

You have 20 months to pay the remaining 4,000 to the orthodontist?
Yeah...I think that my son's braces were just over $5,000. He had them for 2 1/2 years.

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S.H.

answers from Santa Barbara on

I think for your area that price sounds like what I would expect to pay.

Temecula is big enough to get a couple of quotes. Make sure you trust the other you pick. I would go with the location that is most convenient assuming the prices are close. Your child we need to visit more often than you think.

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T.F.

answers from Dallas on

A lot of it depends on your area and what all the child needs done. Some children have more work to be done than others so that can make the price vary.

I would get a couple of opinions and go from there.

As far as $5500 on your quote, that sounds in line to me. I am 55 and I had braces at 27 and I paid $4000 at that time upfront with no insurance.

Also offer a cash pay and see if the difference is better than using insurance. You never know.

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D.B.

answers from Boston on

Yes, it's reasonable, but the cost can vary by how long the kid is in the braces and how many different things are required. Most every orthodontist has a payment plan - they know people aren't sitting on a big wad of cash. You're lucky you have some insurance. Get another opinion if you need to - and take the existing x-rays to avoid a second charge there. You paid for them, you own them. A good orthodontist will support you getting a 2nd opinion.

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N.B.

answers from Oklahoma City on

That's about right if not on the lower end.

If he has more than 30% need you might be able to get more payment from your insurance but it's totally on them to say yes or no.

Our dentist gave us a quote, for invisaline, of $5700. Our granddaughter is on SoonerCare, state health care assistance, and they ONLY help pay any part of it if the need is over 30%. Her's in 20%. Her eye teeth are high on her bone so they are way up and are causing cavities behind them on her top front teeth and her front jaw teeth.

We can't afford it at all.

We did go to 3 different dentists too. Our dentist was cheaper by at least a thousand everywhere.

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S.S.

answers from Atlanta on

Depending upon the length of time needed to fix the teeth? It sounds reasonable.

Three of my sons have had braces. They ranged anywhere from $3,500 to $6,000. Our insurance picked up $2K of the tab.

Get second and third opinions.
Ask to see results.
Ask if they expect him to need a second set.

1 mom found this helpful

B.C.

answers from Norfolk on

That sounds about right.
Waiting for him to lose all his baby teeth?
Hmm.
That's what they use to do way back 40 yrs ago when I had braces - and they don't usually do that now for a lot of very good reasons.
If your grand child needs expanders - NOW is the time to be working with it - while his jaw bones are still growing and can be shaped.
It's much less painful to do this when they are growing than waiting till they are older.
Our son did 6 months in expanders and then 2 years in braces and he was DONE by then end of 6th grade.

Way back in the 70's I had braces starting in the 5th grade and ended at the end of 11th grade and they STILL had to pull 8 permanent teeth (wisdom and bicuspids) to get everything to fit in my mouth.
It was 7 long painful years that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.

Get a 2nd opinion from another orthodontist and compare prices/recommendations.

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M.D.

answers from Pittsburgh on

It's not outrageous for a full set of braces, but make sure you get more than 1 opinion.

We got 2 opinions for my son and they were very different. One wanted to do a lot of work (palate expander, then full braces) and the other was only about 1/2 as much (said his palate was plenty big enough for all his teeth to come in fine and that he only needed braces on the top and then a top/bottom specialized retainer to keep everything straight). So in my experience, orthodontic opinions can really vary a lot.

C.B.

answers from Reno on

That sounds about what we paid. Our insurance had a 1000 lifetime for braces. My daughter is on her 2nd set. Both were around 5000 each. They did a payment plan through the office with no interest.
Blessings to you

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J.K.

answers from Wausau on

Yes, that sounds typical. When I saw the question headline, I was going to say about $6000.

V.B.

answers from Jacksonville on

Seems comparable to what we paid for our 2 kids. Youngest gets hers off in about 2 more weeks (yay!) We did have a payment plan that was up to 24 months though. I'm sure that probably is dependent on multiple factors, but it can't hurt to ask about, and get a 2nd opinion/payment plan. It was expected that both of our kids would be in treatment for a minimum of 2 years. So payments throughout treatment. They will want payment complete before time to remove the braces. ;) Eldest was in a herbst device. Youngest needed teeth pulled (her baby teeth would not fall out, and the permanents below were growing in sideways rather than pushing the baby ones out and resorbing the roots. So, to save the roots of her permanent teeth these were already in [the others were growing into they're roots] we couldn't wait any longer for them to come out... she was, gosh, can't remember for sure now... 12 ? And they still hadn't fallen out. So we had 4 pulled. It took a full year for the permanent ones to make the turn and actually erupt from where they were supposed to, before we could put braces on. She was a patient for several years before they ever actually put any braces on her. Monitoring what was happening with the unerupted permanent teeth and if the removal of the baby ones was successful in encouraging them to come up in the empty spots. There were no payments during the period before she actually had braces installed.

But yes, insurance (if you have it) seems to have a range similar to what you've mentioned. It's typically a lifetime limit. I think ours paid $1500 also.

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K.C.

answers from Los Angeles on

My son was recently evaluated by two orthodontists. Both quoted around $5,000. Our insurance also covers $1500. I think what you were quoted is a good estimate, but I do recommend seeing a second orthodontist just to make sure they agree with the treatment plan that the first doctor laid out.

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