braces on teeth costs!!!

[huw62]

Hi all, we took our 13 year old son to the orthodontist yesterday to geta quote on braces for his teeth as he does need them to align his teeth,but i was totally shocked with the price. it is going to be $5400.00 yes the decimal point is in the correct position, i was astounded they would cost this much.
they said we could have a payment plan which means putting a deposit if 25% then paying $135.00 per month for 30 months!

just wondering if anyone else has had to get braces for their kids or themselves and if the price is right?

he needs them top and bottom and they will be on for around 18 months.

any advice appreciated

[Bluebell]

Both our children required braces, though our orthodontist quoted about $4400 each (about 5 years ago) so your price sounds about right. However it's a good idea to get a second opinion. We had a payment plan over 2 years for each of them which included a discount if instalment was paid on time. Haven't regretted it though I must say it felt like we had won lotto when the payments finally stopped.
Just one word of warning, we know of several people for whom the braces were not successful long term because they had them fitted too early. Our kids did not get them fitted until they were about 15years. However every case is different and it's essential you feel you can trust your dentist/orthodontist's judgement. Good luck and think of the long term effects of your decision.

[casnell]

That is the going rate, and for what it's worth it's relatively a lot cheaper than it used to be. Twenty years ago it was $4000. Given the number of appointments over 2 years or so it's a fair fee (I reckon)

[smac]

The price (depending on the Orthodontist) is between $5,000 and $6,000. All three of my kids have had braces , one of them got his this year. If you are in a Private Health fund you may get between $2,000 and $3,000 of this back.

If you can afford it, it is better to pay up front. This saves you the additional cost that the Orthodontist will charge and you can also claim 20% of your medical expenses (over $1,500) on your tax return. Just to clarify that, you don't get anything on the first $1,500 but 20% of the balance over that amount. So save up all of your medical receipts for the year (including prescription medicine).

So here's a possible outcome (depending on your situation)

Spend $5,400

Get $2,400 back from Private Medical (estimated as all schemes have different rebates)

Balance $3,000

Claim 20% of of balance on your tax return (i.e. 20% of $3,000 = $600)

Total Cost $5,400-$2,400-$600= $2,400

Still a lot of money but better than the 0riginal shock!

Stuart

[owen]

I had braces on over 11 years ago, then again about 4 years after as my teeth kept on moving. Turns out that this was due to my wisdom teeth making too much pressure in my mouth - so something to consider, you don't want to spend that much money and have the teeth move back to where they were!

Mine were around $3000 back then I think.

[macka]

Yep, that's pretty much how it is.

I myself have a $5000 smile.

My parents got a fair bit back from insurance though.

But you have to consider that that fee includes every single appointment, as well as x-rays, the braces themselves and plates etc. For me this crap lasted the better part of three years.

[Louie]

Yep, my smile is after two sets of braces - I haven't dared to ask my parents about the costs (was many moons ago now) but I think some of it was covered.

The teeth do keep moving, be superstrict about wearing the plates afterwards as uncomfortable as they are (I didn't, so smile not as straight anymore but still a lot better than it was)

[Manta]

Scary stuff; my youngest will need them soon. We've waited 'til now (she's just turned 14) to make sure we got the timing right.

I expect to pay around the $5000 mark as well.

I've been softened somewhat by a friend's experience - she had a significantly undershot lower jaw (giving her that "chinless" look) and severe crowding of her teeth. She wanted to look her best for her wedding so went under the knife for some substantial dental and maxillofacial surgery. Apart from all the tooth stuff (including braces) she had her jaw broken in two places and plates inserted to increase the length. A bit of a gamble as to how it would all turn out but, luckily, it was a fantastic success. She's now a stunning looking woman... but it cost her around $25,000!

$5000 for braces? Easy!

[jamesw]

i myself just had braces, i got them off just before my 22nd birthday. i was lucky though, they only had to be on for twelve months... my teeth were never particularly bad, my bottom set were quite crowded, they fixed that by just taking one of the front bottom teeth out...

i think they cost around the 3500 mark, dont know why they were so much cheaper than everyone else on here.

i currently have a 5k bill for a tooth implant. im about 30-50% of the way through... missing one of my front teeth, though. hehehehe. i'm a pirate!

[Onyx]

If you could rewind time, join a private health fund, wait out the 12 mths waiting period for stuff like orthodontics, and then win!

Smiles are so overrated... mine are all natural. Down to the front tooth that I chipped on the bottom of a swimming pool.

[jamesw]

If you could rewind time, join a private health fund, wait out the 12 mths waiting period for stuff like orthodontics, and then win!

Smiles are so overrated... mine are all natural. Down to the front tooth that I chipped on the bottom of a swimming pool.

hehehehe

i left my tooth chipped too, and i quite enjoy being down a tooth heheh

[garyr]

All I can say is thank goodness for Private Health cover! I have had two daughters go through braces at a young age, and they may need to have a second round in their early teens. The orthodontist we used was really good - it is amazing how much of an impact the teeth growth has on facial profiles and other health problems, not just a toothy-smile. So instead of waiting for a later time and risk pulling teeth to make space - we opted for the early treatment to create space, fill out the jaw, and create some growth to avoid a sucked-in lips look - with the full knowledge that this was part one. I know I am in for more $'s later, but it has been worth every single cent. Comparing orthodontist photos of profile/bite/jawline before and after is incredible, if we had not taken the early remediation we would not have had the results. Our bill was between 3.5k and 5k per child, about 80% paid through the health fund.

Strong advice is to get an orthodontist who is really good.

Cheers
Gary

[Ivanerrol]

After Orthodontry you can look forward to root canals and crowns. - around $ 1,700.00 - to $ 2,000.00 per tooth - depending on quality.

If you have broken teeth get them fixed. It is amazing the amount of toxins that leach from these and or rotting teeth. As mentioned previously these toxins cause all sorts of problems that you may not be aware of.

[Oz_Beachside]

mine were about that, near on 10 years ago, so its sounds pretty reasonable since there has been 10 years of inflation on prices...

ceramic (white ones) are more expensive.

if you break it down by time, and number of appointments, its fairly reasonable, since it might be bi-monthly appointments, for 3 years, 18 appointments, some long, some short, say $150 / appointment plus materials...

see if you are, or would be covered by insurance, I think mine were about 60% covered.

[Ivanerrol]

Smiles are so overrated...

No there not!

In these modern times with so many pressures on kids anything that raises a troubled kid's self esteem goes a long way.

When you are in a third world country and get into a situation where you can't speak the language, a smile goes a long way.

My wife has a natural smile. When we go to a restaurant I send her in first. We always get a good table. When she goes shopping she always gets good service.

[Matt. K]

My son had one front tooth that was starting to protrude quite noticably. The orthodontist (they all drive Rolls Royces) wanted thousands of dollars to put a brace on it. I took my son to onother, older dentist and he glued 2 small clips to the kids teeth adjacent to the front tooth and gave him a pack of rubber bands to hook up and put some pressure on the tooth. Total cost was $25.00 and the tooth was straight in 5 months. Shop around and ask a lot of questions. And ask yourself..."is my kids perfect smile worth the cost of a DX2 and a 70-200VR?" Hell no!

[Onyx]

Smiles are so overrated...

No there not!

In these modern times with so many pressures on kids anything that raises a troubled kid's self esteem goes a long way.

On the flip side, I was trained in psych so my point of view is the opposite. Sure, self esteem issues have a great impact on anyone, esp kids/teens, but IMO I classify orthodontry in the same field as cosmetic enhancement surgery. It's a physical means in attempting to change an underlying psychological issue. The symptoms may go away with a plastic perfect smile, but the underlying cause of the insecurity of not having one isn't addressed.

The purpose of teeth is to aid in nutritional intake. They're designed to rip/tear and chew solids for ingestion. The secondary purpose of (sexual) appeal is only a modern day construct. A view I don't agree with... hence unless its growth interferes severely with its primary function, I don't believe the pain and discomfort, let alone the financial costs, justify the 'corrective' procedures.

I wish this world weren't so vain, but alas, I can only represent myself.

[macka]

In my experience, people who argue that braces aren't necessary nearly always have perfect teeth themselves.

Having straight teeth is not necessarily just cosmetic anyway.

[Matt. K]

It just goes to show how fixated this society is on appearence. The more 'normal/beautiful' we make ourselves look the more we distance ourselves from those with physical deformities. I never trust an overly groomed man or women.

[Manta]

I never trust an overly groomed man or women.

My wife just returned home from a function in Dublin where Sir Bob Geldof was the keynote speaker. You'd LOVE him, Matt! Looks like an Irish wolfhound that just came in from a rainstorm and revels in his dishevelment. (Okay...not sure if that was an actual word prior to this post...)

[Matt. K]

Simon
I once had to do a portrait of a seated VIP and watched him waste 15 minutes of my time whilst he attempted to coax a single strand of his obviously dyed hair into place with a spittle soaked finger. I almost puked with distain.

[Manta]

How you suffer for your art Matt...