You’re probably reading this because:
A.) Your dentist just told you that you need braces, or
B.) You recently looked at your teeth in the mirror and wondered what it would take to make them look nicer.
Either way, now that getting braces sounds like a legitimate possibility, the next step is figuring out how much they’ll cost you.
How Much Do Braces Cost For Adults?
Young or old, getting braces can be expensive. The materials, time, skill, and knowledge that go into straightening teeth cost a good deal of money no matter what the patient’s age is.
When it comes to straightening adult teeth, however, there are some factors that can up the cost even further.
Dental health
Many adults who start orthodontic treatment for the first time have a history of various dental conditions that can complicate treatment with braces. Some people are missing teeth. Others have enamel that’s so worn down their bite will never be perfectly balanced. Still other adults may have gum disease or extensive tooth decay that can slow down braces treatment.
Such complications can make braces cost a lot more than they already would. More time spent in braces means more expensive materials and more time spent visiting an orthodontist.
Age
Although there is no official cut-off age for getting braces, there does come a point in life when the body loses a lot of its healing ability. Older adults tend to have thin bone tissue in their jaws that doesn’t always respond well to braces. So if you need adult braces as an older adult, your treatment could cost you more in direct proportion with how complicated your case is.
Aesthetic preferences
Adults tend to have very specific expectations for how they want their teeth to look both after and during braces. Adults also have more orthodontic options to choose from than kids do and so they’re often drawn to the more trendy, mature-looking, and expensive braces that aren’t as visible as traditional braces.
Treatment autonomy
Kids who get braces don’t usually have much say in their treatment since it’s all worked out by the grownups. But when adults themselves get braces, they have more questions and want to take their time exploring various options. This can lead to some trial-and-error in their orthodontic treatment journey as they figure out what fits in with their lifestyle and what feels most comfortable. All of this takes time, and time in braces equals money.
Risk of root resorption
There’s also a higher risk of orthodontic complications in adults than in children. If the teeth are moved too quickly, the roots can become permanently damaged and some teeth can die or fall out. Adult orthodontic treatment tends to be more costly because older adults often have to wear their braces longer and have smaller adjustments over time.
Braces Cost For Kids: How Much Is It?
Orthodontic treatment tends to be a bit cheaper for children than for adults. Kids have healthier gums and jawbone and their teeth can move quickly and safely with braces.
If you have a child who needs braces, you can save a lot of money down the road by getting the treatment done as soon as possible. A little early orthodontic therapy goes a long way in preventing expensive dental complications in adulthood.
Additionally, orthodontic options for kids are usually limited to the reliable and cost-efficient method of traditional metal braces, spacer maintainers, and expanders.
How Much Do Braces Cost Per Month?
Your dentist or orthodontist may be able to work out a financing plan with monthly payments to help you manage the cost of braces. How much you’ll have to pay depends on the total treatment cost and the size of the payments you can afford. For clear aligners such as Invisalign, your payments may be as low as $50 a month. Some people pay about $100 a month on orthodontic treatment with regular braces.
How Much Do Braces Cost With Insurance?
Dental insurance and orthodontic plans vary, but many do cover at least part of the cost of braces for children under 18. It’s very rare for an insurance company to cover the entire cost of braces in one payment.
'On average, most plans cover about half of braces treatment up to a certain limit, like $1,500.'
So, for example, let’s say you need braces that cost $5,000 and you have insurance that will pick up half of that up to $1,500. Depending on your plan, you’ll make monthly partial payments until your insurance reaches that $1,500 limit and then you’ll be responsible for making the remaining payments in full. In this case, your insurance will cover $1,500 of the treatment and you’ll end up paying a total of $3,500.
And Braces Cost Without Insurance?
The out-of-pocket cost of braces varies widely depending on a few things like:
- How much experience your orthodontist or dentist has
- The geographic location you seek orthodontic in
- The type of braces you want
- How complicated your case is
- Your overall dental health
For very simple cases of straightening only one or two teeth, you may pay less than $2,000. If your treatment is more complex and lengthy, however, you could pay more than $10,000 for braces without insurance.
Invisalign Braces Cost
Invisalign is the most popular brand of clear orthodontic aligners. Although the cost of Invisalign can vary just like traditional braces, it averages around $3,000 to $5,000.
If you want to know more about what is the Invisalign Treatment Cost, click the button below.
Gold Braces Cost
Gold braces are not made from solid gold. Gold is a metal that’s too soft to hold up to the rigors of orthodontic treatment. You’ll need a much stronger base metal like stainless steel that can put enough pressure on your teeth to move them.
If you’re interested in creating a more sophisticated look than the traditional silver metal, then your orthodontist may be able to provide you with brackets and wires that are coated in either real gold or a gold-like material like titanium nitride.
How much gold braces will cost you depends on where you go to get them and whether you get actual gold-plated braces or just braces colors with gold-colored tires.
Clear Braces Cost
Invisalign is probably the most expensive of your clear braces options with many people paying around $5,000 for their treatment. There are cheaper clear braces options, however, such as Byte and Candid (yo can read byte reviews and candid teeth straightening reviews to get more info). These companies ship clear aligner trays directly to customers for $2,000 or less. Clear braces can be cheaper than regular metal ones because they only work for simple orthodontic cases.
What is the cost of Top Braces?
It’s easy to think that getting only upper braces will cut the cost of braces in half.
But orthodontic treatment is not as simple as that.
Your top and bottom teeth grew in together and interact in a specific way when you bite down, so they need to be straightened together. The slightest change caused by putting braces on just the top teeth can negatively affect the way your upper and lower teeth fit together.
Your orthodontist may recommend straightening the upper teeth only, to begin with. But this is usually followed up by adjusting the lower teeth. This means that you’ll still have to pay the cost for a full set of braces. It’s quite rare to have braces on just the upper teeth.
And What About Bottom Braces Cost?
As discussed in the section about the cost of top braces, it’s rare to pay for braces on just one half of your mouth. If you have only slight overlapping in two or three bottom teeth, then your orthodontist might recommend single arch treatment. That doesn’t mean you should expect the cost to be half that of full braces, however, you can try to get free braces if you are on a budget.
Ceramic Braces Cost
Ceramic braces are made with clear or tooth-colored materials that blend in well with your teeth. This makes them a great low-visibility option that’s just as effective as traditional braces. The materials used in ceramic braces cost a bit more than those used in metal braces, however. And there’s a higher risk of accidentally breaking your brackets and needing to have them redone. This means that you might have to pay a bit more for ceramic braces. They can cost anywhere from $3,000 to $10,000.
Lingual Braces Cost
Lingual braces are when your orthodontist attaches the brackets to the insides of your teeth. Doing this takes considerably more time and skill and the treatment takes a little longer, so you can expect lingual braces to cost $5,000 to $13,000.
What Will You Pay for Braces?
Figuring out how much braces cost is a real challenge. As you can see, the averages vary widely and it’s almost impossible to guess what your unique treatment needs will be.
The only way to find out for sure how much braces cost is to go see an orthodontist in person for a consultation. He or she will let you know which type of braces are right for you and then quote you a price based on an estimate of how long you’ll be in braces. Fortunately, most orthodontists offer free consultations.
So while it’s hard to guess exactly how much braces will cost you, it’ll cost you almost nothing to find out!
