Getting Braces!!!

hunner · Post by **hunner** » Fri Jul 20, 2012 7:03 pm

So...my significant other is in need of braces, not as much cosmetic as it is required or the loss of more teeth could come of it. My best guess from looking online is that it will require about $5000 at the most. Does anyone have any experience with this? Especially your upfront costs, then recurring costs...etc. Thanks.

altoid · Post by **altoid** » Fri Jul 20, 2012 7:59 pm

what about invisalign? i was quoted by a dentist last week $2700, and if you pay with cash ,10% off.

hunner · Post by **hunner** » Fri Jul 20, 2012 8:39 pm

Gosh, I hope thats physically feasible when we make it to the ortho...2700 w/10% off would be quite pleasant compared to the 5000+ numbers I've been seeing.

Fred Tracy · Post by **Fred Tracy** » Fri Jul 20, 2012 8:44 pm

Mine were 5-6 grand, and I wasn't eligible for invisaline. ;(
You pretty much just pay the amount they quote.. no extra costs, except if you lose your retainer once they're off, then it's like $100 to replace.
Could try to get health insurance to pay for them if you need the braces to prevent tooth loss. We tried cuz I needed braces for a jaw surgery, but no luck. Surgery was covered tho.

chenda · Post by **chenda** » Fri Jul 20, 2012 11:23 pm

You might want to consider getting a second opinion as to whether there is a genuine clinical need for them. In my experience there are some dentists who are keen to sell you very expensive treatments which are'nt really neccessary.

vireoes · Post by **vireoes** » Sat Jul 21, 2012 12:34 am

If you have a dental school in your area it could be cheaper to get them done there. I had mine done at the local university when I was a teenager. It saved us quite a bit.

aptruncata · Post by **aptruncata** » Sat Jul 21, 2012 12:44 am

i have a class two underbite with two top canines shifted up like a vampire. the last time i got a quote from orthodontist and dentist the total was near $16,000.00. which will roughly take 3 years to set in and 1-2 year retainers. They also told me because of the crowding caused by large tooth compared to the space avaialable it will eventually lead to tooth decay and loss. They also advised, at 30+ years of age and older i may experience weak bite streghthen after the procedure. It was a no brainer for me and my wife. It's been 7 years since and i floss religiously with zero cavity. i'm pretty comfortable with my decision to live with myself.

dot_com_vet · Post by **dot_com_vet** » Sat Jul 21, 2012 2:21 am

I did braces in my 20's because it would add "longevity" to my teeth. Out of pocket was about $1,500 with great insurance.
I'm not sure about the whole longevity thing, in my case I think it was salesmanship. I had to get a gum graft as a complication. Painful and not cheap. I also had nerve damage to a tooth from the trauma of braces, hello root canal.
After braces, the teeth will shift, unless you're going to wear retainers the rest of your life. And they do wear out and are expensive.
My teeth DO look better, but I think I would have just lived with imperfect teeth.

ICouldBeTheWalrus · Post by **ICouldBeTheWalrus** » Sat Jul 21, 2012 9:46 pm

dot_com_vet: "After braces, the teeth will shift, unless you're going to wear retainers the rest of your life."
Yep. I had braces as a teenager. Had a retainer. Soon as I went off to college, got lazy about wearing it at night, and I always found it annoying to wear during the daytime. Few months later, it wouldn't even fit. But eventually stuff stopped moving around, and it's a lot better than if I had not had the orthodontic work done.
What didn't work out so well is that the doctor didn't anticipate a growth spurt in my lower jaw at the age of 17, and now I have an underbite. My front teeth touch, my rear teeth don't touch very much. This annoys me a bit. On the whole, I think the removal of 4 bicuspids and 2 wisdom teeth did me more good than the rest of the endeavor.

anomie · Post by **anomie** » Sat Jul 21, 2012 11:20 pm

+1 on taking care of things when you are young.
I did braces when a teenager, then after a couple of years I had the orthodontist remove them and I quit the retainer.
I was a stupid, stubborn youth.
Glad I went through what orthodontics I did, now, though.

hunner · Post by **hunner** » Sun Jul 22, 2012 1:36 am

This is all good information. After we see a few orthos and get some pricing down, i'll be sure to reply with the actual deal I can work out. I'm definitely fine with the $5000 range compared to $16000+.