So How Much Do Braces Cost?
The short answer is that there is a price point for every budget out there and your costs will be influenced by the system that you end up choosing. The longer answer is that you cannot be given a cost for orthodontic braces until you have been assessed by your dentist.
What Is The Average Cost Of Braces?
If you want to know what the average cost of an orthodontic treatment is, a ballpark figure is from $2000 and upwards. Some appliances can cost more than $9000.
The reason you can’t just pick a figure off a price list is that everyone’s mouth is different, and every practitioner uses a different approach. Add to that the number of appliances and brands out there, and you have a really long list of variables that make a quote quite impossible.
Once you have been assessed, your dentist will present you a treatment plan. The treatment plan will document the steps that need to be followed to straighten your teeth or correct your bite, as well as the costs that are associated with each phase.
Breakdown Analysis of the Cost of Braces
Your treatment plan will cover the professional fees required to manage the orthodontic treatment, as well as the appliances themselves and the items and accessories you will need to keep your braces and teeth in optimal condition.
It will be broken down into different sections…
Pre-treatment assessment and follow up appointments
Your pre-assessment is a long consultation wherein your dentist will take a comprehensive medical history, inspect x rays and scan your mouth, and talk to you about your concerns and needs.
You will need to visit your dentist regularly once your braces have been fitted, to make sure things are progressing according to the treatment plan and to monitor your mouth for any signs of decay. During these visits your dentist will make adjustments to your orthodontics, to keep you on the ‘straight and narrow’.
It is best to know these costs upfront as you probably don’t realise how much input you will require. Your practitioners’ fees will be higher if you are living in a major city, compared to outlaying locations.
Your appliances of choice
The orthodontic appliances you have fitted will influence the cost of treatment. If you opt for more modern appliances such as lingual braces or invisible aligners you can expect to pay a higher fee than if you have metal braces fitted.
- Metal braces
For a full set of metal braces without complications you can expect to pay in the region of $2000 and $9000 for 18 months of treatment. - Lingual braces
Offering the same end-result as metal braces without the aesthetics, lingual braces are placed on the back of the teeth and are virtually imperceptible to other people. While you may need to make some changes to the way you speak or pronounce certain words, for the most part, other people will not know you are wearing them. - Ceramic braces
Another very convenient and modern solution to straighten crooked teeth and misaligned bites ceramic braces do come at a premium. These tooth coloured orthodontics can cost as much as $9000 for the full 18 month treatment plan. - Invisible braces and aligners
Invisible braces and aligners offer another discreet way to straighten teeth but they do require more intensive maintenance and management. You can expect to pay between $6000 and $9000 for invisible braces but if you only require minor correction to be done, it could drop to around $4500.
Post-treatment care and reviews
If you have followed your dentist’s instructions very diligently your orthodontic braces should be removed in 18 to 24 months. In some cases this doesn’t always happen and the braces may need to be used for a little longer. In other cases it may be necessary to wear a retainer for a few hours a day or overnight. These associated costs will also be presented to you in your treatment plan costing.