Kids Orthodontist costs and advice

[Deckin Around]

So my wife just hit me with “we need to pay $7k for phase 1 ortho” for our 7 & 9 year old kiddos. (breakdown of phase 1 below)

I understand there are a few different ideas on the best plans for alignment correction. Some say wait till all the permanent teeth are in, others are more proactive before that and the rest say, “F that, let ‘em be snaggletooth”
My wife likes the start early idea because one ortho explained it was better to start moving stuff early to avoid pulling permanent teeth later which is common practice to correct overcrowding.
We don’t own the x-rays from the consult but the words overcrowding, misaligned, overbite we’re all used for both kids.

So this one ortho my wife just left wants to do a phase 1 now and then a phase 2 after all the permanent teeth are in and then retainers. I am told both kids will be $8k each all in through 1&2. I have lots of questions about guarantees and avoiding extra costs etc., but I wanted to reach out to the Rdp Family and see what your experiences were including pricing.

I’m in Irvine if anyone has any local recommendations

 

[BIGRED9158]

Wait until they tell you phase 1 is all about making room then they hit you with they need phase 2

 

[monkeyswrench]

5 years ago I got about the same estimate for my daughter. I asked the orthodontist point blank what the cash price was. 3k and her teeth are great!

 

[Deckin Around]

Wait until they tell you phase 1 is all about making room then they hit you with they need phase 2

That’s was the convo she had. Phase 2 is pretty close to the same cost as phase 1 plus retainers. That’s how I’m being told about $8k each for phases 1&2

 

[ltbaney1]

ask about cash. my dentist cuts his rates in half if i pay green money at time of service. i keep dental insurance for big stuff, cleanings and small stuff i pay on the spot, its noted in my file im a cash guy so i get quicker appointments too.

as far as ortho goes, i can only tell you my experience, i started Ortho at 8, teeth pulled upper and lower pallet spread and braces for 8 years. at the ortho or dentist every week, for your kids sake, if they are boys find the ones with the best looking techs. i didnt mind going after a while, because you basically have boobs in your face for a bit.

 

[Deckin Around]

i can only tell you my experience, i started Ortho at 8, teeth pulled upper and lower pallet spread and braces for 8 years. at the ortho or dentist every week, for your kids sake, if they are boys find the ones with the best looking techs. i didnt mind going after a while, because you basically have boobs in your face for a bit.

I had sort of the same 7-10th grade. I also appreciated the hot dental assistants almost as much as the slutty hair cut girl when she washed my hair in the sink. ( . ) ( . ).

 

[Boatymcboatface]

Just got back from camping with my friend he’s a dentist and his wife’s a pediatric dentist I’ll send this over. Pm me your contact.

Side note he owns about 4ac close to you up in the desert

 

[rightytighty]

When we went through this with 3 kiddos, I somewhat lucked out and noticed orthodonture at a school fundraiser. I ended getting braces at 50% of cost as I won the silent auction.

Worked so well, I got the second set for about the same amount 3 years later for my middle kid.

Had to pay full pop for my 3rd kid because by then, his practice was established, I guess, and there was no auction offer ( i was bummed

Might pay to check for a school’s silent auction..

 

[RogerThat99]

I had to do 2 phases on both my kids. It sucks, but it's worth it in the end. It was a long time ago, but it seems like both phases combined were about $7,000 for each kid.

 

[JD D05]

Had to do this with both my daughters. With insurance we were around 5k for both out of pocket. I wasn't involved at all but it took a long time.

Before and after for my oldest. She is the tall one.

 

[Singleton]

just finished phase 1 for my kid.
it was apx 3k. Included braces and the retainers she wears at night now.
She had adult teeth growing sideways that due to crowding was going to knock out other adult teeth.
phase 2 starts hopefully this year. Going to be about the same.

if we did not start early, she was risking implants and dental surgery that was 4-5 times the cost of phase 1 and 2

 

[bonesfab]

Careful getting them too young. I was one of the ones that had to braces twice.

 

[mesquito_creek]

I had phase 1 and 2 done back in 1978. My Daughter had both phase 1 and 2. It’s way better to pull teeth while they are young.

My sister had only phase 2 and she got her ass kicked with a lot of painful surgery, extracting teeth out of the roof of her mouth and expanders etc…

 

[Sleek-Jet]

I was a little hesitant to put braces on my 8 year old (oldest daughter) to begin with but was also told that would cut down on the time and cost in the early teen years. Lies, LOL. First round 3k second round is going to be 8k. And that is the cash price.

My youngest will get orthodontia work just like I did, when I was 13 and have braces till 17. Pay once, cry once.

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

Careful getting them too young. I was one of the ones that had to braces twice.

That’s called phase 1 and 2

I also had them twice. Was done with Phase 2 by 6th grade when most everyone was getting them for the first time.

Getting ready to do this for my kids this year.

 

[Shlbyntro]

dont do a fucking thing until the permanents are in. no matter what you do they will need correcting once the permanents come in. my mom was a career ortho office manager.

10-12 years old is when the first stuff should be going on.

 

[schweeng]

don't do it until kids are old enough to understand the impact. gonna sound crazy but have them sign a contract that they understand they must wear their retainers for as long as the Dr says....... if they don't and teeth move, they owe you in some form or fashion (you figure that out).... so many kids with braces do well because its permanent....they can't take them off.....BUT retainers afterwards.....whole different story there..... forget, break, leave at restaurants or lazy.... the teeth move back so quickly

 

[bowtiejunkie]

Our girls are 12/13. The orthodontist we use recommends one and done. The 13 yo started last year and 12 yo just had the remaining baby teeth pulled, so braces not yet installed (probably mid 2023). It’s pretty much $2,800 out of pocket after insurance coverage for each girl, which includes the retainers. Dental work for pulling remaining baby teeth was about $250 or each kid. We’re in the Dallas, TX area.

I had two phases. One at 5/6th grade, and then in high school. My upper retainer still fits! Lower doesn’t due to a couple crowns.

 

[McKay]

5 years ago I got about the same estimate for my daughter. I asked the orthodontist point blank what the cash price was. 3k and her teeth are great!

This! My daughter is in her phase 2. Paid cash up front both times and the savings was huge.

 

[Sherpa]

7--9 is too young. their heads are still growing let alone their jaw and all those teeth.....

I put braces on all 3 of my daughters............ and like mentioned before, CASH up-front is king.. serious discount.

by the time the last daughter needed braces, I wasn't working due to plant closure and was in school paying my way.

IE: seriously burning savings cash to survive..... I told them I'm not sure if I can afford this because I'm now unemployed and

also spending cash to go to school. again. they gave me a super duper cash discount and then some of the last go around.

 

[Motor Boater]

My father in law is an Italian guy from New York. In the late 80’s early 99’s he had 3 daughters all starting to need ortho work. He had a meeting with the doc and gave him 10K cash and said I don’t ever want to see another bill from you for any of my daughters. Doc said you got a deal.

 

[bldrinker]

How much to wire a kids mouth shut?

Asking for a friend.

 

[brgrcru]

Wait until they are older
Just a scam

 

[SoCalDave]

Rd has some very good recommendations south of the border. Just sayin.

 

[scottchbrite]

That’s about right, price wise. My oldest is almost 10 and just got her braces off. She’s in a retainer currently. I had concerns about price and age too. Its case/patient dependent. My youngest (8 years old) has started them too. Our ortho started with expanders to make room for the incoming adult teeth, then braces to align them. It’s interesting to see how it’s changed their face, mouth, and teeth for the better. Do a FSA if possible, cash, and you can even do CARE credit as an option.

 

[SoCalDave]

Our daughter did one phase back in the 90's and it cost us $3500. Her daughter just got them last year at age 14. One and done is my vote.

 

[Havasu blue label]

Price is about right

 

[Laguna]

My son's ortho said he could do the 2 phase deal if we wanted to pay twice. He told us wait until his adult teeth came in and he was right. All other ortho wanted to do 2 phases.

 

[OldSchoolBoats]

Scam. Wait until they are older and you can only have 1 phase or their teeth will naturally straighten out. Our daughter is 16 and at around your kids ages, they tried to pull this crap on us. We said no and she proceeded to lose all her baby teeth. Now her teeth are perfect and dentist doesn't recommend braces at this time.........

 

[samsah33]

Get a couple 2nd opinions, they're free. Prices and approaches vary. I got mine when I was an adult and most wanted to take out teeth due to overcrowding; one said, "hmmmm... borderline on the extractions, let's try without..." That's the one I went with, wasn't necessarily the cheapest, but she agreed to give me ceramic brackets for the price of steel. I'm not a dentist (...but I did make teeth in a previous life...) and never understood putting braces on kids' teeth knowing they will fall out soon...

 

[4Waters]

I can tell you this, get a 2nd and 3rd opinion

 

[Willie B]

… after I got my braces removed and got a retainer… I wore that for about a week, but it gagged me so I stopped wearing it, and my teeth went right back to where the originally were… Oh well???…

 

[RiverDave]

Rd has some very good recommendations south of the border. Just sayin.

I would go down there to check it out no problem.

RD

 

[Riverbottom]

I would go down there to check it out no problem.

RD

I agree. Depending on where you live Algodones is a good option. I have a friend who took her daughter there once a month for a few years. Saved thousands, and she has beautiful straight teeth.

 

[FCT]

I had sort of the same 7-10th grade. I also appreciated the hot dental assistants almost as much as the slutty hair cut girl when she washed my hair in the sink. ( . ) ( . ).

They know what they’re doing!

 

[Riverfamlee]

whatever you decide DONT do invisalign with a teenager. Made that mistake with my youngest son and what a PIA to get him to wear them like he was supposed to. I let my wife talk me into them and we still fight about that. $5k out the window.

Old school braces are the way to go with kids.

 

[DLow]

Orthodontics is hugely dependent on the kid. Some need one phase. Some truly need two. Some need extractions while others don’t. Get multiple opinions, as stated above, and have each explain their planned course of action while showing you why on the x rays they are working off of. To me, I might pay a little more with an ortho that I’m comfortable with and confident my kids will be squared away when done. As a parent, I’m going to make sure my kids teeth are good before they move out of the house.

 

[Englewood]

Honest question...Why do people straighten them when they are gonna be gone soon anyways?

 

[Done-it-again]

Both my kids have them. 1 is on phase 2 and the other gets phase 2 in a few weeks. We are around 7k for both kids for phase 1&2.

 

[Deckin Around]

Honest question...Why do people straighten them when they are gonna be gone soon anyways?

Phase 1 is not about straightening baby teeth, it's about moving the baby ones to allow for the permanent ones to come in closer to correct. That way there is less to deal with later..... or a sales pitch. It makes sense but IDK

 

[mjc]

2 of my kids did it years ago. Only thing i can say when you start make the follow-up appointments a couple months out. I always did and got the first of the morning every month. Missed very little school that way and i missed very little work also.

 

[angiebaby]

I think orthodontics is a sales scam much of the time. Granted, some kids genuinely need it (overbites, underbites, terribly crooked teeth, etc). Here is my story.

Jeff's family has screwed up teeth and bites. Overbite is common; both of his parents have them. He is the only one who got braces out of 4 kids and the only one with a normal bite and straight teeth. The others all have totally jacked-up teeth.

I had a huge gap in 4th-6th grades. No braces. The gap closed in about 7th grade, and my teeth are perfectly straight now.

FF to our kids. Our daughter had very crooked teeth but an okay bite. She got the first phase of braces in 4th grade for about 15 months. Then she wore a retainer for about a year. Never got the second phase because they stayed straight. She has a great smile today.

Our son developed my gap with straight teeth, and also had a normal bite. The dentists kept insisting that he needed ortho care. So I took him to an orthodontist. They wanted to cut the flap of skin right above the two front incisors that attaches from his gum to his lip. They blamed this for his gap. We decided to wait. Every year, we checked in with the ortho, and every year we waited. They REALLY wanted to put braces on his teeth and told us he'd have to wear a retainer for the rest of his life, yadda, yadda. By the time he got into high school, that gap had closed, and he has an AMAZINGLY beautiful smile today, at 26 years old. I'm glad I did not listen to the experts.

Keep in mind, they don't make money if kids (and adults) don't get braces. They are going to do their best to sell you on why your kid needs braces. Just like insurance agents try to scare you into purchasing probably way more insurance than you need, orthodontists do the same. One dentist tried to get my 65-year-old dad to get braces. He had a gap also, but it's from smoking for 50 years. His gums receded so badly that his teeth got loose. Now he has fake teeth at 73. (Keep that in mind, those of you who can't kick the tobacco habit).

I do recognize that some kids genuinely need braces, as Jeff did. But I think they are oversold. Just my 2 cents based on our experience.

 

[Chevy5150]

My son's dentist put an expander in for him when he was nine. No need for braces until he got his adult teeth. The dentist said I just saved you $4k just wait. He was right.