If you are researching the cost of braces you have probably found that it is difficult to get an accurate estimate of what braces cost. This is mostly because the cost of braces will vary considerably based on a number of factors. For example, braces cost more in urban areas than they do in rural areas. Your best resource for determining the cost of braces is your orthodontist; however we discuss some of the factors that will affect the cost of braces and provide the average braces cost and prices of orthodontic treatment.
Location, location, location
Location is a big factor that determines the cost of braces. This has a lot to do with higher overhead costs in the city versus the country. It is more expensive for a city dentist to rent or buy an office and pay the associated taxes and costs of working in an urban center. The cost of living is high for the orthodontist and the office staff. This means that the cost of braces must be higher to cover these costs.
Take two cities in California, for example. Average braces cost approximately $7,500 in Los Angeles but only $6,500 in Bakersfield. These two places are only about 100 miles away from each other, but the cost of braces is $1,000 different on average. Orthodontic treatment on the coasts of the United States will be more expensive than in central states. The cost of braces in Baltimore, Maryland is about $7,000 to $8,500 while the cost is $5,500 to $6,500 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Age matters
Orthodontic treatment is a little more expensive in adults than it is in adolescents. Likewise, braces are more expensive for adolescents than for children. All other things being equal, adults can expect to pay about $500 to $1,000 more for their own braces than for their children. Why might this be? Children’s teeth are more easily shaped by external forces (like orthodontic devices) than are adults or even adolescents. That means treatment is a little longer and requires more orthodontic visits. More orthodontic visits mean the more that braces cost.
What’s your type?
The type of braces that you choose will dictate the cost of braces. Traditional braces, that is, braces with metal brackets on the front of the teeth, can cost between $5,000 and $10,000. This includes consultations, X-rays, active treatment and retention. If you would like ceramic brackets, which look more like the color of natural teeth than metal, expect to pay an additional $600 to $800. In addition to the composition of the brackets, there are a number of add-on features that can be purchased which increase the cost of braces.
If you are interested in hiding your braces as much as possible, there are two main choices, clear dental braces and lingual braces. Invisalign braces cost about the same as traditional braces. In fact the lower range of Invisalign braces cost is about the same as the lower end of metal bracket braces and the higher end of the Invisalign braces cost range is equal to the upper range of ceramic bracket braces. Even though clear braces technology is new, Invisalign braces cost about the same as metal or ceramic braces. How can this be? Clear dental braces are not for everyone; people with severe orthodontic problems will not qualify for Invisalign braces.
For patients that want their orthodontic treatment to be discreet and have fairly misaligned teeth or malocclusions, lingual braces are the only real option. Lingual braces are similar to traditional braces except that the brackets are on the tongue side of the teeth. Lingual braces tend to be rather expensive and not every orthodontist is trained to install them. Lingual braces are about $3,000 more expensive than traditional metal bracket braces.
Complexity of orthodontic treatment
Only your orthodontist can give you an estimate of how difficult your particular case will be to treat effectively, but it stands to reason that if your teeth are nearly straight and mostly well-aligned that your cost of braces will be lower than someone with a severe malocclusion and extensive crowding. Your orthodontist can give you a rough idea about the complexity of your case at the first full examination.