Braces...

I knew my son would need them as soon as a I saw his adult teeth coming into his mouth...But now its time. ANd I am wondering how we will ever afford this. I am wondering, how much they cost? The clear or colored ones preferably. Anyone know?

Thanks!

Re: Braces...

My friends daughter just got them and she told me that they were about $5,500. They are metal ones. I remember that when I was little the orthodontist would not put the plastic ones(clear) on me because I was too young and they break much easier.(just an FYI)

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I had them starting in 2nd grade. I know my parents couldn't afford it, but the office set us up on a payment plan. I went until 9th grade. I think most places have something like that.

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Go with the metal either way. In elementary school when I had them, my friend did too, but she had the clear. They got stained and yellow looking from food she ate. You're going to see the braces anyway, might as well not be icky when you see them.

eta: I was never teased, neither were my brother or sister.

Message edited 3/23/2011 9:30:07 AM.

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I had metal braces and didn't start till I was 11 or 12-- never got teased over them. I actually had a disastrous short haircut during that same time period, and took plenty of cr@p over that, but never about the braces.

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They cost between $5000 and $6000 usually. With insurance and a payment plan I paid $110 for 18 months for my son and $200 for 18 months for my step son (they had different insurance coverage). They both had metal braces. Neither had any problems with teasing. It seems like almost every kid has braces now so it's not a big deal. HTH

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It all depends if there is other things that need to be done. My son needed to stages 1st stage bite plate ( i think it was 1500 after the edp discount) and now he's in his 2nd stage ( $4800 after edp) should of been $5400. My sister goes to a diff orthodontist and all 3 of her girls need them and she is paying around $5200 each. The good thing is they do usually make payment plans. I pay $150 a month for 22 mos after the down payment. GL

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Well the fun begins...Thanks for all the helpful info.

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Posted by twicethefun

Posted by ChrisDee

My friends daughter just got them and she told me that they were about $5,500. They are metal ones. I remember that when I was little the orthodontist would not put the plastic ones(clear) on me because I was too young and they break much easier.(just an FYI)

Thanks, I was just reading that about the plastic, which are apparently really ceramic...that they are not sturdy. I guess we may have to go with metal. He is only 7 so maybe it won't matter, but I did not want him teased. but it could be worse I suppose...we have dental insurance, but I still think it will come to a pretty penny.

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My dd just got braces. The total cost was $4,750. My insurance pays $1,200. I got a $200 discount for paying in full so it cost me $3,350.
I could have done a payment plan for 2 years but used our tax money so I wouldn't have a bill every month.

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Hi, I'm not sure how old your son is but the porcelain ones are very bulky and often chip so are usually not recommended for kids and young teens. The steel ones are smaller and give the orthodontist more leeway in movement of the teeth. Either way, your son will go through a transition in which his inner lips will become scratched up and irritated, before they toughen up. Cost of treatment varies from 2000$-5000$ varying on severity of treatment, type of braces used(porcelain is more $), and location(richer areas tend not to accept ins and charge more.) Most orthodontists accept ins and that will usually take 1500$-3000$ off the bill and they work out monthly arrangements for the balance- like 100$ a month sometimes. If you don't have ins, they will require a down payment of 1000$ or more if u can afford and set up monthly payments for the balance. They can make it totally affordable for you, don't worry! I worked in an ortho office for 7 years and parents were relieved when they found out the options. Just remember, braces are an investment, so make sure he eats the correct foods, doesn't break braces constantly and brushes to avoid cavities or gum problems during tx.
Good luck!
Lina

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Posted by BeachMom

Posted by twicethefun

Posted by ChrisDee

My friends daughter just got them and she told me that they were about $5,500. They are metal ones. I remember that when I was little the orthodontist would not put the plastic ones(clear) on me because I was too young and they break much easier.(just an FYI)

Thanks, I was just reading that about the plastic, which are apparently really ceramic...that they are not sturdy. I guess we may have to go with metal. He is only 7 so maybe it won't matter, but I did not want him teased. but it could be worse I suppose...we have dental insurance, but I still think it will come to a pretty penny.

My DD started going to the ortho at 7. They say that's the key age to start fixing the teeth. She's had a retainer since she was 7.5. She actually was soooo excited because all of her friends had them also. At 10 they are training her adult teeth to come in correctly with the retainer.

We paid $3,300 for this treatment. And another $3,300 if she does need braces later on.

So far we've gotten 3 years of treatment for $3,300 so i think we've definitly gotten our monies worth.

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Thanks for all te replies. Very helpful info.