How much do Adult Braces Cost?
I researched the cost of getting adult braces at orthodontic offices for several years. Every single dental office that I visited confirmed that orthodontia for adult braces would cost me well over $1000 out of pocket to get started. Orthodontia for kids is often included in most dental insurance plans. Interestingly, after 18 years of age, most dental insurance plans do not cover any type of orthodontia.
Since I was faced with the reality of having to pay for my braces by myself, I started to strategize. The $1000 price point to get started with getting braces made me nervous. What if I needed that money for an emergency? I would feel terrible if I needed money that I had spent on getting adult braces. I really felt like I could not afford to get adult braces. Luckily, all of the orthodontists that I spoke with about adult braces provides affordable payment plans.
How was I going to be able to afford braces at 40 without having any kind of dental insurance. A friend of mine told me to call my dental insurance carrier (Blue Cross/Blue Shield), to see if they covered orthodontia. Guess what? They did! My Blue Cross dental insurance would cover 50% of my orthodontia. Finally, I was going to get my teeth fixed!
During my research of dental plans, I also found out that Delta Dental covers orthodontia too.
If you have a dental insurance provider, you should check to see if your insurance plan covers the cost of adult braces.
If you choose to shop around for a dental insurance plan that will cover the cost of braces, please make sure that you ask if the dental insurance plan covers “ORTHODONTIA” or “ORTHODONTIC SERVICES”, specifically.
Details About Getting Adult Braces
How Long Will I Need To Wear Braces?
The most expensive options for adult braces are usually the ones that take the longest to straighten the teeth. These include 1) traditional metal braces and 2) Invisalign Clear “Tray” Braces. Other companies like Clear Correct and SmileDirect offer personalized orthodontia from the comfort of your own home. Both are Great New Options! Most types of braces take a long time to straighten your teeth because all of the teeth must be moved, shifted and corrected. Getting that perfect smile is going to make you feel so much better about your appearance.
Remember this…the roots of teeth in the back of the mouth are very, very difficult to move because they are bulkier in size and dimension. These roots are often deposited deeper into the jawbone than teeth in the front of the mouth. Sometimes, the orthodontist might need to pull some teeth in order to make space for moving the teeth around to get them aligned perfectly.
Can I Afford Adult Braces?
At the end of orthodontia treatment, almost all braces cost between $3000-7000. Now, THAT is a lot of money!! I know that you are probably thinking what I thought when my orthodontist gave me my treatment plan, “Hmmmm, do I really want to pay THAT much money to get my teeth straightened? They’ve been crooked all of this time. Can I afford to pay this much money for adult braces?”
Lots of you are daydreaming about what you could do with this amount of cash? Here is my “daydream wish list”: 1) Buy a used car 2) Save for a rainy day 3) Pay off some debt 4) Take an AMAZING vacation 6) Get your straight teeth 7) Give the money to charity.
I did not have $5750 (average cost of braces) just lying around waiting to be used to fix my smile. If you do have that amount just laying around in a bank account, you my friend, have done well with budgeting. Congrats!!
I created an affordable payment plan with my orthodontist that allowed me to pay for my braces over time without interest. Can you afford my adult braces too?
Here is a quick set of questions to help you to determine if getting Adult Braces is right of you…
- If you had the money right now, would you straighten your teeth?
- If you can afford adult braces by setting up an affordable payment plan with your orthodontist, would you straighten your teeth?
- Do you think that you would feel better about yourself if you get adult braces to straighten your teeth?
- Do you think that you hide your smile because you are embarrassed by it?
- Does your smile match who you feel like you are inside?
- If getting adult braces is not what you can afford right now, would you consider alternatives to adult braces? For example, would you consider 6 Month Smile, Veneers or Implants?
If you answered “yes” to at least two of these questions above, you should definitely consider getting adult braces.
Please feel free to reach out to me with your questions, comments, suggestions and ideas about Braces At 40.
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