What did you pay for orthodontic treatment?

[rafiki]

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[Wendi]

Wow! My son's braces came to about $4000 total, but insurance paid half. If he would wear the rubber bands all the time, he'd be out of them soon. :glare:

 

Wendi

[unsinkable]

We just started w/the 2 oldest and it is just under $6,000 for each of them.

 

It should take about 2 to 2 1/2 years for each.

 

I'm sorry for all the anxiety, sticker shock and pain you're going thru! :grouphug:

[DesertDweller]

Ds had a full set of braces for two years. I think we paid $3800. That was 6-8 years ago?

 

Same orthodontist with dd. She had an under bite. Phase 1 was $1800 and done when she was six. That was ten years ago. Phase 2 she just finished last year, and I think we paid $4300.

 

I know from having talked to the office manager at our orthodontist's office that there can be a wide difference in cost. It can vary from office to office. It can also vary depending on what part of the city you are in. We live in a huge city, so that may not be the case where you are.

 

I would get a second opinion. Maybe even a third. I had several evaluations done with ds before we made a final decision. We had some time and had switched insurance companies. It paid off.

 

With dd I didn't need to because I wanted to continue with the same orthodontist that ds had.

[Snickerdoodle]

We just got quoted 5500 with a 10% discount if we pay upfront. We were told it would take 18 months. He didn't mention anything about phases.

[Twilight Woods]

My total cost including retainers is $5300. I pay monthly.

 

My daughters will only cost about $2300 b/c we have dental insurance that will cover her.

[rafiki]

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[J-rap]

$4,000, not counting any special x-rays needed. None of it covered by our insurance.

[AuntieM]

First child, appx $4K for standard, single phase correction.

 

Next child, a tough case, will be near $10K by the time that kid is finished.

 

Third child, not yet sure but hoping for the same as #1, we will find out soon.

 

I am very, very thankful for dental insurance that covers a portion of the orthodontics. Our most economical route has been to pay with income tax refund money, get the cash discount for paying up front, and immediately submit it to our medical savings account for reimbursement of the portion not covered by insurance.

[QueenCat]

$5100, just one phase but it does include the retainer at the end. Insurance pays $1000 of the $5100. We paid it upfront so we did get a small percentage off.

[Ria]

Shop around, and see if you can contact local homeschoolers for other recommendations. Homeschoolers will often know the best and least expensive doctors. We have lots of orthos around here....one of my friends took her dd to the popular one, and the total was over $8000! She then went to our ortho and the estimate (slightly different approach) was $5000. Big difference.

[NicksMama-Zack's Mama Too]

We are paying $5,000 per child for ortho treatment. This is the flat fee that one of the local ortho's charge. I haven't heard anyone being charged more or less. He is not the cheapest in town, but is very professional and has a great staff. His place runs like a finely-tuned machine.

 

My insurance covers the first $1K of the bill, then we pay the rest.

 

Oldest had Herbst appliance then braces.

Youngest has palatal expander and then braces.

Edited August 2, 2011 by NicksMama-Zack's Mama Too

[myfunnybunch]

We'll pay about $5000 for single-phase treatment, which includes everything. Our ortho doesn't typically do 2-phase treatment unless there is a structural problem that needs to be fixed before he works on the teeth. Our insurance pays a portion of the cost. We will pay in a lump sum from our pre-tax medical savings to save the taxes and get a 5% discount. ETA: Treatment length, the ortho said the cost includes as long as it takes, typically 18 months-2 years. It will include all treatment, including the retainer.

 

Just as ds10 finishes his treatment, ds8 will probably be ready to start, and ds6 will probably need braces too eventually. I told the ortho we're going to be seeing him for several years. *sigh*

 

Did you take your ds to several orthodontists? We got two recommendations from our dental hygenist and another from friends, so we had three consults. One guy wanted to do a very pricey bells-and-whistles two-phase treatment, $2000-3000 first phase, almost $5000 sceond-phase but if you pay now you get a $300 discount, etc. :eek: The other two had almost identical single-phase treatment recommendations. If money was no object, we'd might have gone with the first guy, but instead we went with the ortho we got the best "feel" from (who was, incidentally, the one who did my hygenist's childrens' teeth).

 

Cat

Edited August 2, 2011 by myfunnybunch

[skirch]

My dd's total treatment will be $4,200. She's in phase 1 now with an expander and 4 braces on upper teeth. It was $2,160. Insurance covered $2,000.

When she goes into phase 2 in a few years, we will owe $2,040. Our insurance pays up to $2,000 a year so hopefully that won't change between now and then.

 

As other's have said, I'd check around. My friend in another state found that there could be huge differences in cost from one ortho to another when he was shopping around for his dd.

Edited August 2, 2011 by skirch

[redsquirrel]

6,000 when it is all done. We weren't told of phase 1 or phase 2 but he did have them on the bottom first and then the top. We had a down payment of some large amount and then we make monthly payments of 150$. He goes in every month to have the bands changed. We don't pay extra for visits for a popped bracket etc.

 

We are in the home stretch. I am hoping they are off before Hallowe'en. I swear when this is done I am getting a massage every month. Clearly, we can afford it.

 

And yeah, there is sticker shock. Shop around. It might be worth it. Everyone in our town charges the same so I didn't bother.

[Jumping In Puddles]

Phase 1 for underbite = $4000. Insurance paid half. That includes 4 braces on upper teeth and expander. I wish it were only $2100! I guess I should have shopped around.

Edited August 2, 2011 by Jumping In Puddles

[rafiki]

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[MaryE]

I'm following this with great interest, as both of my kids have an ortho consult in a few weeks. I thought, surely, our dental insurance will cover part of the upcoming financial pain. I was wrong.:svengo:

 

Did I mention my DH's bottom teeth are getting so crowded, he probably needs something too? (help)

[AuntieM]

OP, just wanted to address the latter question in your post, about why we stress out over these things.

 

Well, because they are out-the-wazoo expensive! Sounds like your ds needs what's called orthopedic orthodontics. Phase 1 corrects the bone structure (ie, palate expansion, etc), phase 2 corrects alignment. From all our research before proceeding with our child's challenging case, this is a far cry better than the old break-and-reset-the-jawbone technique used in decades past.

 

I know that we, dh and I, do it because it's something we are able to address "on our watch." When kids graduate from high school or college, just starting out in life, few have the resources as young adults to pay for orthodontic treatment. And with the business world today, fewer employers are offering comprehensive insurance as part of compensation packages. So as we see it, it may be now or never. I know a few moms who are, in their mid-forties, just now undergoing orthodontic correction. They couldn't afford it for themselves as young adults, and they couldn't afford it when they had a lot of kids at home to feed and clothe. One is straightening out for cosmetic reasons, another has finally reached the point of not being able to chew and swallow without pain. If I can provide this for my kids now, I really, really want to, so it's not something they have to figure out how to pay for later. After all, I expect they'll be paying for their own kids' braces down the road.

[AuntieM]

The thing is there is no appliance work involved with his phase 1. He specifically said so. This is just the braces on the back molars and four front teeth for ~ 9 months.

 

I would be asking a lot of questions about what he specifically plans to accomplish in each phase of the treatment. If there is no reason for an appliance to significantly change the shape of his mouth, and no real difference between the goals of the two phases, I would certainly be asking him to treat it like one extended phase (with one price tag) and offer you the opportunity to qualify for the cash-up-front discount.

 

Have you gotten a second and third opinion?

 

ETA - If the purpose of phase 1, according to your doc, is to keep certain things in place until ds is ready for phase 2, you may want to ask if a (much less expensive) retainer will accomplish the same thing.

[goldberry]

$6000 all inclusive. Braces will go on in August, but ortho has been seeing DD for a couple of years now for x-rays and assessments (recommending extractions, etc) and I have not paid for any of it. The $6000 that I will start paying on when the braces come includes it all.

[Mothersweets]

We've paid about $5000-$6000 for each child so far - that's seven kids. One of the seven was only $2000. Still have four left.

[Mom-ninja.]

Why must we stress out about help our children be the best them they can be?

 

I could say why but that would start a debate. ;)

 

 

I need to have my ds evaluated so this thread interests me.

[butterflymommy]

About $7000, no insurance coverage for ortho.

[TrixieB]

It's not crazy high for the area we live in.

 

Kid #1

$2900 for phase 1

$3500 for phase 2

 

Kid #2

$3200 for phase 1

$???? for phase 2

Edited August 3, 2011 by TrixieB

[DianeW88]

$4,000 for everything, insurance pays $1,000. Three kids = $9,000 out of pocket. :glare:

[choirfarm]

What is phase 1 and phase 2??? We will have paid a little over 4,000 for what he thinks will be 2 years of work. If that is true, then he will be through in January. Insurance doesn't cover it, but what is nice is that you can pay in installments without interest.

 

Christine

[gingersmom]

$5500 for 2 years of wearing braces.

 

No insurance. Lucky me!

 

Gearing up for child #2 to get braces.

[AuntieM]

What is phase 1 and phase 2??? We will have paid a little over 4,000 for what he thinks will be 2 years of work. If that is true, then he will be through in January. Insurance doesn't cover it, but what is nice is that you can pay in installments without interest.

 

Christine

 

See my post earlier in this thread.

[Laura Corin]

Nothing. NHS. I don't know what stage it counts as: Calvin got braces when he was about 12 - top and bottom, for about eighteen months. It counted as medical need rather than cosmetic - his front teeth protruded beyond his lips.

 

Laura

[Boxing Hare]

Take the time to drive around and get different quotes. I was quoted $7,000, $6000, $5000 and $2800. Luckily, the ortho I felt the best with was also the cheapest.

[Krista in LA]

For dd, it was $5k about 3 years ago minus a 5% cash discount. Ds just got his on and it was about $5600 - no cash discount because they already figured in multi-kid discount. Our insurance paid $2k of dd's and slightly less on ds because he had already had a spacer through the ortho.

[HiddenJewel]

Dd15 currently has braces with a 22-month treatment plan. Total was about $6000.

[DesertDweller]

What is phase 1 and phase 2??? We will have paid a little over 4,000 for what he thinks will be 2 years of work. If that is true, then he will be through in January. Insurance doesn't cover it, but what is nice is that you can pay in installments without interest.

 

Christine

 

For dd, phase 1 was to correct bone structure although I don't even remember them calling it phase 1.

 

She had an under bite and had to wear a palate expander along with head gear designed to pull her upper jaw forward. It was quite remarkable to see the before and after pictures. The orthodontist told us that he had been quite successful with other patients, however there was no guarantee it would hold.

 

Because she was homeschooled, she was able to wear the headgear almost 24/7 and had great results in a fairly short time.

 

It was quite a few years later that she had braces. The braces brought a little more correction to the under bite along with straightening her top and bottom teeth.

[Rebookie]

This is scary to think about!! My little one will need them soon. Looks like I need to get saving! =((((

[Thea]

My ds was/is $5800. One phase, 18 ish months. Our insurance picks up everything after the first 1500.

 

My dd has her consult later this month.

 

My oldest has perfect teeth.

[ma23peas]

Take the time to drive around and get different quotes. I was quoted $7,000, $6000, $5000 and $2800. Luckily, the ortho I felt the best with was also the cheapest.

 

Same experience, our cheapest was also the most conservative and agreed we could do it without pulling permanent teeth, 2900 is what we paid, ins. Paid 1500.

 

Oh! And make sure the fee for consultations, one ortho charges $350 just to get a consult!

[Veritaserum]

$4500 total bill (upper braces and Herbst followed by lower braces once Herbst is out). Our insurance will pay $1500. Our out-of-pocket is $3,000. Treatment will take 2-3 years.

 

ETA: Treatment cost is comprehensive. It will pay for what needs to be done to correct her overbite and straighten her teeth. :)

Edited August 3, 2011 by Veritaserum

[AngelaNYC]

I paid a total of $4340 (after insurance paid $1500) for clear (tooth-colored ceramic) upper braces and silver lower ones. They're on for 2 years and all follow-up visits after they're off are no extra charge. I pay $150 each month. The clear braces on top were $500 more than silver would have been, but they look great. This is for dd and only for cosmetic reasons.

[G5052]

We went to four, I called a bunch to get general information and screened out a lot of them based on general impression, specialty, location, financing, etc.

 

I chose the one with the most recommendations from people we know and most straightforward approach. He was only slightly above the cheapest.

[justamouse]

sounds about right.

 

Lucky me, we've got 3 that will *need* them. Not just cosmetics, *need*.

[Amy1k]

I think we also paid about $6300...our insurance pays $2000 of it.

[AngieW in Texas]

$5495

 

My dd has a complicated mouth. She had a cross-bite and was so crowded that her first teeth are the only ones she lost naturally. Her first 2 teeth on top knocked out 4 and took up all the space. Her first 2 teeth on bottom knocked out 3 and took up all that space. When her next adult teeth came in, they were behind the original adult teeth. There wasn't any room for them, so the dentist pulled the next baby teeth to make room. When the next adult set came in, there wasn't any room for them either, so they came in like fangs. She had to have more baby teeth pulled to make room for them, but this time that wasn't enough. She had to get braces to make room even though she's already had 4 additional baby teeth pulled. She has all of her teeth now without any adult teeth getting pulled. She still needs a few more brackets. She just got 4 added on bottom for her most recent new adult teeth on bottom, but she still need two more brackets on top. She was in so much pain just from the bottom brackets that he didn't do the top ones at the same time like he had planned. She's been in braces for 1.5 years now and will probably be in them for another year.