Anybody recently put braces on their kids teeth?????

[skip68]

My son (12 yrs.)  has a consultation on Thursday for braces, but I'm out of the loop on what average costs are? This would be a cash payment plan. (A grand down and go from there.)  Just want to make sure we don't get ripped! If any parents have been through this recently and have info it would be much appreciated! It's been many, many, moon's ago when i had braces, and I just don't know what to estimate. Thanks.

Mrs.Skip68

[Silver R/T]

~$4 grand

[bull]

Typically it's between $4k and $6k so if insurance pays $1k toward it you're looking at at least $3k in most cases, usually more. In my area we have a dental coverage company called Willamete Dental that runs like a managed care setup similar to Kaiser. Through Willamette I was able to get my braces for an out-of-pocket total of $1,800.

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

My 13 year old got them last year....gladly my plan covers everything but $300

[WingCharger]

Are you freakin' kidding me!

Had those things for 12 months. They suck.

[BIRD67]

I had braces, got them taken off about a year ago, around $4k is what it cost's but it is worth it! Just make sure he takes care of them, otherwishe he will end up like my mom.. She had to have braces twice and a mouthguard, you know, those metal straps they put on the outside of your mouth.. Also, once they take the braces off, make sure he wears his retainers, otherwise his teeth will end up looking like they did before..

[Foreman72]

when i read this i thought maybe u where putting the braces on the kid 

anyways...when i was younger (about 10 yrs ago) the braces where mad expensive (now their just insane) so my parents could only afford a retainer.  My teeth aren't braces perfect but it fixed the problems it needed to...now i need 2 get my wisdom teeth out... not a fan...

they're expensive alright

[ITSA426]

My son's were about $5,000 but his teeth took a lot of straightening, and he had them on for about four years.  They're almost a status symbol with kids  because they are so expensive.  You can look at invisalign or some other almost invisible styles but they typically cost even more.  Shop around for the best orthodontist and price.  Cheaper ain't always a better deal.

[FLG]

My teeth were pretty bad, but i managed to get by for a couple of years by simply wearing a retainer every night. Found it alot easier then getting braces and dealing with it 24/7. There not perfect because eventually i hardly wore it..but there ALOT better then they were.

[Magnumcharger]

6K for my daughter's teeth....and worth every penny!
And even better, my dental plan + my wife's dental plan = no payments at all!!

[mauve66]

$5K or so over the past 7 years, but my son had some really crooked teeth, damn hillbilly, no insurance but they took monthly payments and didn't even require alot of down payment, the one my son wnet to was way over in Green Valley though,  i would suggest getting a 2nd opinion though, the 1st one we went to said to pull like 7 baby teeth and the other one said no reason, we'll just wait for his adult teeth and straighten them as the adults come in, thats part of why it took so long but i didn't see any reason to pull his baby teeth when they were still good at age 10-11,
brushing is incredibly inportant with braces though, otherwise the acid reaction witht the tooth can eat right through the tooth itself

[Mike DC]

Whatever it costs, get it done for her.  Nice looking teeth is becoming more and more of a social necessity for younger people as time goes by.  Cosmetic work is turning into a socioeconomic arms race, just like higher education did.    

 


Straightening my own teeth was a long painful 4-year job that cost enough to buy a decent Charger.  IMHO it was worth it.

I'm just glad my parents had the money & insurance coverage, and that science could do it at the time I was in my teens.

   

[71ChallengeHer]

Lisa, Shelby's were $5000. She had to have a mouth expander and her eye teeth were log jammed ( they couldn't come in) She still has a bottom retainer. And it was worth every penny. She still had to have her wisdom teeth pulled after they took her braces off. Good luck  

[PocketThunder]

I had braces, got them taken off about a year ago, around $4k is what it cost's but it is worth it! Just make sure he takes care of them, otherwishe he will end up like my mom.. She had to have braces twice and a mouthguard, you know, those metal straps they put on the outside of your mouth.. Also, once they take the braces off, make sure he wears his retainers, otherwise his teeth will end up looking like they did before..

I had braces for a couple years in High School.  Afterwards i stopped wearing my retainer and they started going back to where they were before i had braces.  But not all the way.   

[Neal_J]

About $4,500 per kid or $22,500 altogether.

Sure wish we'd just got a cat instead of all them damn kids...

Neal

[Chad L. Magee]

I had to have them put on about seven years ago and wore them for five years (a big pain at my age).  If I am remembering it right, it was around $3,500 or so to have everything done.  Before the braces, my teeth were pushed together so tightly I could not get dental floss to fit in between them.  Now, it is not a problem, plus it corrected one misaligned tooth in the process.  Still have to get most of them capped in the future, I am a bad teeth grinder when I sleep.....

[patrick]

I got braces for my daughter, four year's ago. It was about $4,300.00 then. It was totally worth it! I never thought her teeth were that bad. Maybe, from a fathers eye's. We went for a family portrate back then and, she wouldn't smile with her teeth. She said, "Daddy, I just can't." That was it! She had them for three year's. When she got them off last year, her teeth were beautiful. Except, for the usual brace residue. And yes, it comes off. She has taken very good care of them and, still thanks me all of the time! Some of the best money, I've ever spent!

[skip68]

Well I took my son to his consultation.............$7,100.00 !!!!!!!!! They are doing a special of $1500 off so that brings it down to $5,600.  He would have to wear them for 30-36 months, and have a bite plane in the roof of his mouth for at least 8 months. Gonna check around and get some other quotes.....
Thanks for the input guys and gals!

Mrs.Skip68

[WingCharger]

Well I took my son to his consultation.............$7,100.00 !!!!!!!!! They are doing a special of $1500 off so that brings it down to $5,600.  He would have to wear them for 30-36 months, and have a bite plane in the roof of his mouth for at least 8 months. Gonna check around and get some other quotes.....
Thanks for the input guys and gals!

Mrs.Skip68

Man, that is going to suck. 36 freakin months?? By bit plan, do you mean the spreader that has to be tightened with a key?
A friend of mines sister had one, and she couldn't talk after it was tightened every night.

[Mike DC]

 
Braces for 3 years, and a plate-type expander for 8 months?  $7K? 


Mmm . . . not great, not bad. 

           

[mauve66]

if you don't mind going to Green Valley once a month try Dr. Noorda, he's in the yellow pages, i don't have the number right now, he's off Green Valley Pkwy and windmill, nw corner behind the drug store, since my son did his YEARS ago it may be the same but at least this gets you another opinion from someone i consider to be a very good orthodontist, he didn't want to pull lots of teeth, he just wanted to shape them as they came in, and accepted monthly payments over a 2-3 year period i believe

[skip68]

Well Nick,  (our son),  goes tomorrow to get his braces put on.  Hope it goes well! Thanks for all the input!  My friend told me to take pictures of him now, and every month. He's gonna put the pics. in his computer to show the progress, and see the changes over three years. Something to look forward to! (Other than the bill! )

Mrs.Skip68