Mom-2-7 Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 My almost 11 year old son was evaluated for Ortho. The price tag was staggering! Here's what was recommended - Top and bottom palate expanders. His jaw is most definitely not very rounded. It appears more pointy at the front of his mouth. There is not enough room in his mouth for all the teeth he is supposed to have. I can see in the x-rays that several of his adult teeth are trapped in his jaw with no way to come in. Those expanders would also serve to move several of his teeth back an entire tooth space. Apparently he lost some teeth and the adults one didn't come in in a timely manner. The existing teeth moved into the empty space. The price came in at $5400! That is just for the expanders. Dentist seems to think that another set of expanders might be necessary since the screws only move a few mm. For those, she will only charge the lab fees. Then after all that, he will need braces. Is this in the normal price range? We want to get a second opinion but if we do, will we have to pay the $180 for the diagnostics again? I'm confused, shocked and discouraged because we have 7 younger kids - only one with straight teeth. Please walk me through this terrible and mysterious world of orthodontia! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 Do you have a university dental school within a reasonable distance? I don't know if the prices you were quoted are reasonable for your area and the work being done. But we ended up going to the dental school, where the care is good and the cost is about half of what the other orthodontists quoted us. You might want to check that out. In our case, the diagnostics cost at the dental school was $50 which was applied to our first payment for the palate expander (top only) which I think came to a total of $750. The "regular' braces after that were, again, I think, am not sure, between $2000 and $2600. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparrow Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 My kids don't have expanders, so I don't know how much those run. Our orthodontist does a panoramic x-ray, photos, and full exam for free for the initial consultation. I think several orthodontists do this, so you may want to check around. My son has been in orthodontic care since he was 8, due to a severe cross-bite, and is just about done with phase II. He should be out of braces by the end of the year. Dd will be getting them in November. When all is said and done, between the two of them, we will have spent just over $14,000 :svengo: . It seems that most people I have talked to have paid $5-7,000 for all treatment, so I would definitely check around if that was the quote for expanders alone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freesia Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 My dd just finished with Phase 1. She had one expander on the top of her mouth. That was followed by braces and now a retainer. We paid around 2700 (we got a bit of a cash discount and a insurance agreed price or something--insurance didn't pay, they negotiated the price or something). Hopefully, she won't need another set. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 Are you sure that doesn't include braces as well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-2-7 Posted August 30, 2013 Author Share Posted August 30, 2013 Are you sure that doesn't include braces as well? Hmmm. I'm starting to second guess myself on that. I need to check on that. If it did, that would put the price in a more normal range. But, boy is the normal range high! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa in SC Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 Dd had expanders, braces for 4 years....her mouth went from a horrific mess to gorgeous. Our primary reason was not cosmetic, of course. It was to correct many issues that would ultimately affect her overall health. The entire course of treatment was right at $5,000. We made monthly payments, and she had over a year of treatment left when we made the last payment. Her orthodontist had a "breakfast club" program where we received 10% of the cost at the end of treatment if every appointment was prior to noon. That was a nice incentive. If you are really being quoted that much for expanders alone, I would definitely seek some other opinions and quotes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom@shiloh Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 My impression was that usually the price quote is for the whole thing. Expanders are just the pre-cursors. We paid about $4000 for our son who needed everything but the kitchen sink in his mouth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjand6more Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 Ortho is not a flat fee. The cost quoted to the op is probably expanders/braces for phase 1. It is so hard to know because treatment plans vary from patient to patient. Most orthos do their own records for free with the initial consultation. Just check around and get a few opinions. Do not just go with the cheapest option though!!! We have a couple of orthodontists in our area who do treatment for HALF of the cost of other (quality) orthos. They cut corners and get you out of braces in 12-18 mos.(thus the cheaper cost). Basically they straighten front teeth and leave terrible posterior bites and ignore 2nd molars! Ya,it's nice to have a pretty smile, but it would also be nice to have a good bite. Ok. Rant over. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassenach Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 I live in a crazy expensive area and our quote for phase 1 with expansion was 3k- without insurance. Another Ortho (2 actually) said that ds just needs a retainer/expander and then can go straight into phase 2. The total for the retainer was $700. If your quote is only for the expansion, it's crazy. Also, all 3 of our Ortho consults were free. I say keep shopping! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 Keep shopping price. But just so you feel better, one of my kids will finish complex orthodontic treatment with a price tag topping $20K. Some cases are complicated, thus expensive. Getting a variety of opinions helps you determine what is actually needed and what cost range to expect. However, if your child truly has a complicated issue, cheapest may not always be the best route to take. You'll want a doc with experience who stays current with technique. Be sure you are asking around for first-hand recommendations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bnbacademy Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 Yikes! Our dentist said that ds would need an expander, but when evaluated by the orthodontist, he has been able to have a retainer only, with braces to follow next year. I would at least consider a 2nd opinion, unless you have reliable reviews for the integrity of that particular practice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DianeW88 Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 My dd had a palate expander. Price for the whole shebang (including the braces) was $4,000. Check around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-2-7 Posted August 30, 2013 Author Share Posted August 30, 2013 Thanks everyone. One more question. When I go for a second opinion, do I tell them that I'm looking for a second or that I just want him evaluated? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bnbacademy Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 I would just ask for an initial evaluation. Our orthodontist did an evaluation, wrote out the plan and charges, all without knowing or asking whether I intended to return or not. Only on the 2nd visit did he ask for a contract to be signed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted August 31, 2013 Share Posted August 31, 2013 I would just ask for an initial evaluation. Our orthodontist did an evaluation, wrote out the plan and charges, all without knowing or asking whether I intended to return or not. Only on the 2nd visit did he ask for a contract to be signed. And try to visit at least three docs for an evaluation. You might need a tiebreaker. : ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom0012 Posted September 1, 2013 Share Posted September 1, 2013 Call around. In my area, most orthodontists don't charge for the initial consultation. From talking to friends, it also seems that most people pay about $5,000 no matter what needs to be done. My dd's braces were just a flat fee. I knew exactly how much I would pay before the ortho ever started treated and I paid with a payment plan. I'm making my last payment this month and the braces should be coming off in October. Yay! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitten18 Posted September 1, 2013 Share Posted September 1, 2013 My dd had top and bottom expanders and braces, the cost was $3,000 and we live in SoCal (high cost of living area). That was for a first phase, she will probably need a second phase as a teenager. All the orthos around here do free consults and it's very common to get 3-4 opinions before starting treatment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-2-7 Posted September 1, 2013 Author Share Posted September 1, 2013 Thank you everyone. His appointment is Wednesday to get the ball rolling but I'm going to cancel it. There is a very well respected Ortho nearby and I'll see what he has to say. It sounds like $5,400 might be a little high for my area. Or maybe ds's mouth is just that much of a mess! *sigh* My next younger one has several teeth that are actually sideways in her mouth. I may have to go get a job to help pay for these kids' teeth! Crazy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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