Braces!

[buzznwoodysmom]

Just venting a bit here, but who knew braces, or should I say fixing teeth, would be so expensive.

DS12 has always had issues with his teeth. He had a missing baby tooth, now he has two extra teeth forming in the roots of his top front teeth, a tooth that isn't properly formed, and his teeth are very crooked. Today was his initial consultation and I was expecting the estimated total to be in the $4000 area. Not quite.....

First of all we will need to see an oral surgeon to have those extra teeth removed before the ortho will even touch him. While they couldn't give me a price for the sugery the ortho estimated it could be anywhere from $1000-$2000 for that. Good thing my insurance will cover 60% of oral surgery. Once that is taken care of we can begin the process of braces.

Today at the consultation I was given a paper with the estimated cost. Wow, the estimated total for his braces is $5140! My insurance will pay $1750, but that still leaves a nice little chunk for us. And that's not even all that needs to be done.

A front tooth of his isn't properly formed so once the braces come off they'll need to fix that tooth. He mentioned some sort of bonding, or capping of that tooth. I didn't even bother asking what that would cost.

I feel it's totally worth the expense to give my children a beautiful smile, but boy was I taken by surprise this morning. I surely didn't think we'd be looking at that much to fix his teeth! Is this the norm? This is my first child so this is all new to me.

[Disney4us2]

Wow... that is a big time sticker shock to absorb.

My DD (12) has had hers on since this past January. I too had sticker shock. Lucky for her she didn't need oral surgery. She did need a palate expander though, which added to the price.

Now several months later I can see how much nicer they look already. The uppers now have room to move into place. She got her lower's on about 2 months ago and the teeth are already straight. The lowers were very crooked.

Hang in there... it is totally worth it. Welcome to the tin grin club.

[disney obsessed]

I think 5400 is a good range for braces. All of mine were a lot more. My recent case is 6500. On top of that, we went to the dentist today to get an estimate for more caps so that we can put on more braces. (my daughter has very little enamel on her teeth). I think we will need about 12. They did not give me a price today but my guess is that it will be about 300 a tooth. 300x12.........
We have no dental insuranse.

It is painful.

[buzznwoodysmom]

I think 5400 is a good range for braces. All of mine were a lot more. My recent case is 6500. On top of that, we went to the dentist today to get an estimate for more caps so that we can put on more braces. (my daughter has very little enamel on her teeth). I think we will need about 12. They did not give me a price today but my guess is that it will be about 300 a tooth. 300x12.........
We have no dental insuranse.

It is painful.

Oh wow! I feel silly for complaining now.

All of my relatives and friends whose children have recently had braces all said they paid around $4000 give or take a bit. That seems to be the norm in my area, which is why I was expecting something in the $4000 range.

I get it that my son, obviously, has more issues than just needing braces. These extra teeth in his roots was a surprise. We didn't see those in an xray he did back in Feb. at his regular dentist. And the tooth that will need to be capped or something was just coming out at his last check up so we didn't know that tooth was going to need extra work. Just total suprise for me, I guess.

[Pirate Granny]

Oh boy, do I have a story...my oldest is 36 now (well actually 8 as she is a leap day baby). The dentist said she had all her adult teeth at 9, so went ahead and spent $3 grand (back in the 80's that was a lot of cash, NO INsurance back in those olden days). She needed a palate expander too...here come age 13, and low and behold, her palate has regrown, and we need another set of braces for an additional $4grand. And a very, angry teenager. Still again, no insurance, one income family at the time. :confused: I think we put at least $16 grand total into my three daughters mouths, and the middle one at 33 could use them again. It was before they put those wires behind their teeth to make sure they didn't grow back. I still shake my head when I think about braces...

[Melanie]

Oh Denise, I feel your pain. My oldest, Josh, had what we affectionately called "jacked-up monkey mouth". His 'fangs' were literally growing out of the top part of his gums. LOL! Poor thing. His total bill was just above $5K and having the military insurance meant we only had $1500 covered. So $3500 and 3 years later he has a BEAUTIFUL mouth. I'm so jealous. hahahaha!

I know it's tough to absorb (especially with the extras you guys have), but I don't think you'll be sorry. The end result really is worth the expense. :D

[TinkerbellT421]

I started the braces process when I was younger and never finished the transition from the mouth guards, expanders and bumpers because my parents couldn't afford with no insurance. My top teeth aren't bad but my lower front teeth over lap in a couple areas, nothing major. I've thought about getting them now, at age 28, but my dental insurance doesn't cover a copper penny as it is considered aesthetic and not health hindering. And I cannot afford them myself. But when I looked into them they were going to cost me about 4grand. My boss at work has been taking his daughter since the forever and now he's looking into invisalign which is an even bigger chunk of money!

[Donald]

Start DS on a oral hygiene regimen now. I just had a patient finish ortho treatment with 15 cavities . The parents did not appreciate the $3000+ quote.

Keep him away from soda pop and energy drinks also. The majority of the responses from teenage boys is that they drink Mt. Dew or Monster. The majority of the responses from parents is "I don't let him have soda pop or Monster." It is a very expensive surprise for the parent...and a very lonnnnngggg ride home for the boy!

[buzznwoodysmom]

Start DS on a oral hygiene regimen now. I just had a patient finish ortho treatment with 15 cavities . The parents did not appreciate the $3000+ quote.

Keep him away from soda pop and energy drinks also. The majority of the responses from teenage boys is that they drink Mt. Dew or Monster. The majority of the responses from parents is "I don't let him have soda pop or Monster." It is a very expensive surprise for the parent...and a very lonnnnngggg ride home for the boy!

Well my hubby stays on our boys about their teeth. They have to floss regularly, and he checks their teeth at least weekly to make sure they are brushing and flossing well. Oldest DS has only ever had one cavity and that was years ago. We bring them for cleanings twice a year, and follow all our dentist's suggestions and intructions. So I'm confident that we are doing the best we can on that front.

[buzznwoodysmom]

Mel, it's great to hear you are so pleased with your son's results. I agree with you 100% that the end result will be well worth everything.

I am looking at it this way. We've spent that amount (or more) on a single trip to WDW, more than once. I think anyone would agree that a giving your child a beautiful smile is definitely worth the same price tag as a Disney vacation!

[Basket Mommy]

I just took my oldest child (14) to the initial consultation at the orthodontist today. She needs uppers & lowers; we were quoted a price of $4400 (of which our insurance will cover $1500). I was expecting around $5K, so I wasn't too shocked.

We were kind of surprised that she has to have braces. Her dentist had told us previously that he didn't think she'd be a candidate, but she has a baby tooth that won't come out and the adult tooth has grown out of the gum above the baby tooth. That's what started all of this. Now the baby tooth has to be pulled and braces put on to assure that the adult tooth grows down straight. The other issues are minor, so if that doggone baby tooth had fallen out like it should've, I don't think we would've even had to see an orthodontist.

The ortho's office does have a Keurig machine, which is a nice touch. I joked to my husband that at around 75 cents per K-Cup, I'd have to drink about 5800 cups of coffee over the next 18 months to recoup the cost of the braces.



I am looking at it this way. We've spent that amount (or more) on a single trip to WDW, more than once. I think anyone would agree that a giving your child a beautiful smile is definitely worth the same price tag as a Disney vacation!

I thought the same thing, except more along the lines of, "Wow. We could take another awesome Disney cruise for that amount of money. How badly does she really NEED those braces?"

[Melanie]

The ortho's office does have a Keurig machine, which is a nice touch. I joked to my husband that at around 75 cents per K-Cup, I'd have to drink about 5800 cups of coffee over the next 18 months to recoup the cost of the braces.

I had to do a double take on where you lived to make sure you didn't go to my son's ortho. LOL! His office has a Keurig as well, and I always had one (or two) cups every time I went. I actually looked forward to it. :coffee:

Denise, I think your way of looking at it in comparison to a Disney vacation is great. :thumbsup:

Now that we've moved we have to find another orthodontist for my youngest. He needs them, but it's not nearly as dire as Josh did. I'm kind of thinking the price won't be that much different though. ;)

[wickedgin]

That pricing seems about right--not that it makes it easier to afford, LOL!
My children were each about half of that, but they only had expander + top 4 braces (so far).
I got a full set of braces (for the second time!) for just over $6,000, IIRC. I have to have oral surgery, too, and I can't help but think how many vacations we could take (or the nice car I could have instead of spending tens of thousands of dollars on my face). It's worth it, of course, but Disney fever has hit me extremely hard this summer.
Since it sounds like you have oral hygiene covered, just make sure that your DS always wears his retainer when this is all over. My bite was not perfect after my first round of braces, but had I worn my retainer, I wouldn't have seen so much shifting in my teeth and I probably wouldn't have been prompted to undergo the process a second time.

[Katzateer]

My youngest has had her braces on for a year and the prices match what we paid ( about $5000). Our insurance hasn't paid much of it.

instead of going to an oral surgeon to get 4 teeth pulled, her dentist did it. Saved us a lot of money and went very well.

[dnickels]

I think anyone would agree that a giving your child a beautiful smile is definitely worth the same price tag as a Disney vacation!

For their child yes, but I don't think you'd have to look far to find some adults who choose the vacation over getting their own teeth fixed. :D

Bummer about the price tag, but as mentioned, totally worth it. It makes a difference when they meet people, in dating, in their careers, in almost anything with face to face interaction so it's really hard to put a price on a good smile.

[buzznwoodysmom]

instead of going to an oral surgeon to get 4 teeth pulled, her dentist did it. Saved us a lot of money and went very well.

I wish we could have had that done. These "extra" teeth of his have not come out yet. These are teeth spotted in his xray that are on top of his top front teeth. So the only way to remove them is surgically.

[buzznwoodysmom]

For their child yes, but I don't think you'd have to look far to find some adults who choose the vacation over getting their own teeth fixed. :D



Your absolutely right. Neither DH or myself have perfect teeth. As a matter of fact I was planning to tend to my teeth once we are done with the kids, but those prices are kind of off putting.

[DVC2004]

Ugh, we are going through this now too with both kids. Insurance is barely covering anything. It will still be almost $8 grand (total) for both of my boys when all is said and done. I also had good teeth and did not need braces, retainers, or anything like that. But the kids apparently got my husband's family's teeth. All of them needed braces, spacers, etc. It was a big surprise to me how costly it is and how little insurance covers.

[Lizzy]

I totally understand your pain. We are going through this now with my 13 year old. I posted about it a couple months back.

I am going to have to switch dentist/orthodontists all together because I didn't qualify for Care Credit and they would let me make payments directly to them.

He is covered by his dad's insurance for $1500 and I am adding him to my insurance so that will be another $1000 to help. His dad will have to pay half but will probably end up paying me half of each payment, so I will need to make sure I can pay the payment each month. It's stressfull. It's so much money. But my parents did it for me, and I am so very greatful, so I can't deny my son the same thing.

[Katzateer]

I wish we could have had that done. These "extra" teeth of his have not come out yet. These are teeth spotted in his xray that are on top of his top front teeth. So the only way to remove them is surgically.

We were lucky the dentist was willing to do this. No one at the large orthodontist office had had anyone that asked if that was ok. But our dentist had no problem with it. They were 4 front teeth. She was in and out of the office in about 20 minutes with just a little local anesthesia. Of course the worst part was once they were out - she was in pain and had a little bleeding, but no more than if she had gone to an oral surgeon.

Saved us a lot of $$ which is nice since she had horrible baby teeth - at least 12 fillings and even a crown before her permanent teeth came in.

[disney obsessed]

These teeth that are coming in over front teeth...are the baby teeth that never erupted or are they extra teeth?

[buzznwoodysmom]

These teeth that are coming in over front teeth...are the baby teeth that never erupted or are they extra teeth?

They appear to be extra teeth. He did not have one of his baby teeth, but several xrays showed that it was not there at all.

The xray he had a year and a half ago didn't show these extra teeth. Then the next xray, which was done 6 months ago, did show something. I do recall his dentist saying there appeared to be something up there, but it was very hard to see. This new xray clearly shows two "spots" that appear to be extra teeth. Very strange if you ask me, but I know nothing about teeth. I do know that there is definitely something there, it's clear as day on these new xrays.

[disney obsessed]

Wow.

Carly's were very slow to come in, but we saw them all on the xrays. Just this spring she dropped her last tooth into place.

One quck bit of insight. If it is possible, check into a dental school near you. We went to university of maryland at baltimore two summers ago and had a great deal of work done. The local folks were going to charge about 43,000. Yes, you read that correctly. Even with the travel expenses to baltimore, we spent less than 4,000. The work is superior and they were wonderful. I did have to shop around to several schools close by before we decided on UM.

They taught me that it is important to be conservative. Carly is getting her braces late(she just turned 16 this march) but if we would have jumped the gun and done things aggressivly years ago so that she would have a "quick fix" smile, we would have to do it all again because of her growth. I am very grateful to them.

[AgentC]

I'm getting nervous reading this. My son is only 6 They've already told me his mouth is going to be too small for his adult teeth and that braces are a definite.

He just had 4 baby teeth pulled to make room for his adult teeth, a crown and a filling. Luckily we have insurance, but we had to pay for anesthesia because he has a high stress level. Anesthesia is only cover at 30%. :(

[Melanie]

They taught me that it is important to be conservative. Carly is getting her braces late(she just turned 16 this march) but if we would have jumped the gun and done things aggressivly years ago so that she would have a "quick fix" smile, we would have to do it all again because of her growth. I am very grateful to them.

That brings up a good point. I don't understand all this starting orthodontia at age 7 or 8 or whatever. Like you stated, how is this accounting for growth? I was kinda glad we were in Japan during these years for my boys and Josh wasn't started until he was 12. And I'm in no huge hurry for my youngest, who is 12 now.

[buzznwoodysmom]

I totally agree on not jumping the gun on things too. My dentist actually gave us a referal form when the boys were something like 8 and 6, for them to both get started seeing their ortho! DH and I were like, heck no, they still have mouths full of baby teeth.

DS now has all his permanent teeth, which is why we decided to start the process now. Not to mention all his classmates either already had them or are starting now, thus he's been asking us about it for a year now. I know it's important to my son, and I feel it's a good time to do it, age wise. We don't plan to start with younger DS till we finish up with older DS. Our youngest will probably be close to 13 before we start with him.

[AgentC]

That brings up a good point. I don't understand all this starting orthodontia at age 7 or 8 or whatever. Like you stated, how is this accounting for growth? I was kinda glad we were in Japan during these years for my boys and Josh wasn't started until he was 12. And I'm in no huge hurry for my youngest, who is 12 now.

That is true. I had braces. I think they came off at 16ish. My teeth were perfect. Then a wisdom tooth started to come in sideways. Now they are not so perfect anymore. I'd love to get them again but they are not bad enough to make up for the cost.

[MstngDrvnDsnyLvr]

We started early with my children, BUT they all needed to have their Palates stretched - and that HAS to be done before the growth plates in the skull fuse together. And a pronounced underbite should be treated WITH the growth so it has to be done early too. I had 3 of my 4 with underbites.

But the key is to visit the local orthodontists (or dental college if it isn't too far) and get a feel for the one that you trust most to be most conservative - not starting to early to only have to do braces again later, not wanting to pull teeth, etc.

[wickedgin]

We started early with my children, BUT they all needed to have their Palates stretched - and that HAS to be done before the growth plates in the skull fuse together.
I don't want to stray too far off-topic, but yes, yes, yes to this!
I was shocked to see a friend's then-2nd grader with braces... until I took my ~3rd grader to the ortho and learned about palate expanders. I have a too-small mouth which my children inherited. My two oldest have already had the expanders and my last will be getting hers soon. This doesn't mean they won't need correction later on, but the "heavy lifting" is out of the way--they won't have to spend $40K+ in 20 or 30 years to have their bites corrected surgically. (This doesn't apply to everyone, obviously; I'm not trying to say anyone's choice were "wrong". For me and my family, early treatment was the better option.)

[Katzateer]

Some of the kids that are in the office are so young - Stephanie is like the old lady around there and she is 17. She was really embarrassed the first time when all the kids were putting tickets in the treasure chess after their appointment - I almost asked her where her ticket was but restrained myself.

My husband's uncle had 2 sets of baby teeth and one set of permanent teeth. He never did lose all his baby teeth- the permanent teeth just grew next to some of them. You couldn't see anything different by just looking at him.

[Melanie]

I wanted to say that most certainly there are cases where early intervention is necessary. I'm not talking about those folks. Unfortunately, I do believe there is advantage being taken of some with slight to moderate cases where braces are placed on too early.

[princessgirls]

Braces....
I think I should have been an orthodontist!!!!

Our orthodontist has a thriving practice!!! Always packed in that office.

I do like him, and he and his family are Disney junkies!!! 2 big trips a year.

$5,100 in my neck of the woods for full braces. Morgan gets hers off on August 10th. Amen. I'm done with our payments.
Apparently, according to my younger daughter, I don't love her as much because she didn't need braces...LOL!
Can't win!
Also can't put a price tag on a great smile.
Insurance covered $1,100 so we were on the hook for $4,000. We were able to use our flexible spending account, a benefit through my husband's employer. We flexed the maximum $3,000 the first year and did $1,500 this year. For the braces it was a winner!!
Good Luck!
Julie:mickey:

[disney obsessed]

Carly had her pallette expander last summer. She was 15. As long as it is done before growth stops it works.

I read on msn the other day that orthodontist have the highest paying salary. I remember my eldest wanted to be an orthodontist for years when she was little. Too bad it changed!