$6000 for braces UPDATE: See Post 72

[maymom96]

A few months ago, I noticed that my son has a bit of an overbite. At his last dental appointment, I mentioned something to the dentist. He looked, said it's a small overbite but he would refer my son to an ortho. The dentist said at the most, my son would need a spacer.
Today was the ortho appointment. The verdict is:
The teeth are wore down. The ortho said that my 11 year olds teeth are worn more than a 60 year olds. It's because his front teeth go over the bottom teeth and almost cover the bottom teeth (called a deep bite).
He has two baby teeth that should have came out a long time ago but aren't even lose. The adult tooth is now impacted. These baby teeth come out in two weeks.
The deep bite (that I mentioned above).
There isn't much room for the lower teeth.
His upper teeth are too high and his lower teeth are too far back.
So he needs braces. The ortho believes my son will be in braces for a long time. I asked what would be the longest and he said it wouldn't be five years. On the paperwork, it says 36 months.
The final price is between 5200 and 6000 depending on the time frame and what is all needed. Did I mention the head gear that he might need at night after the braces come off, the retainer and the protective gear he will need since he plays football?

I won't get into the subject of his biological father throwing a hissy fit about this, wanting me to get the braces on at a dental school two hours away, having friend of the court telling him that I picked the most expensive ortho (he's the only one within an hours drive) and that this is mostly just cosmetic. It amazes me that a man who hasn't seen or had contact with his son in 8 years starts demanding how things are going to be.

I'm a bit annoyed at the dentist. How did he not see any of these problems? My son has went to the same dentist every six months since he was 3 years old. I know nothing could have changed the outcome of today. But he was not concerned about anything. How did he not see the impacted adult tooth?

So now I need to come up with the down payment. Anyone want to help contribute to the kitty?

 

[figment52]

A few months ago, I noticed that my son has a bit of an overbite. At his last dental appointment, I mentioned something to the dentist. He looked, said it's a small overbite but he would refer my son to an ortho. The dentist said at the most, my son would need a spacer.
Today was the ortho appointment. The verdict is:
The teeth are wore down. The ortho said that my 11 year olds teeth are worn more than a 60 year olds. It's because his front teeth go over the bottom teeth and almost cover the bottom teeth (called a deep bite).
He has two baby teeth that should have came out a long time ago but aren't even lose. The adult tooth is now impacted. These baby teeth come out in two weeks.
The deep bite (that I mentioned above).
There isn't much room for the lower teeth.
His upper teeth are too high and his lower teeth are too far back.
So he needs braces. The ortho believes my son will be in braces for a long time. I asked what would be the longest and he said it wouldn't be five years. On the paperwork, it says 36 months.
The final price is between 5200 and 6000 depending on the time frame and what is all needed. Did I mention the head gear that he might need at night after the braces come off, the retainer and the protective gear he will need since he plays football?

I won't get into the subject of his biological father throwing a hissy fit about this, wanting me to get the braces on at a dental school two hours away, having friend of the court telling him that I picked the most expensive ortho (he's the only one within an hours drive) and that this is mostly just cosmetic. It amazes me that a man who hasn't seen or had contact with his son in 8 years starts demanding how things are going to be.

I'm a bit annoyed at the dentist. How did he not see any of these problems? My son has went to the same dentist every six months since he was 3 years old. I know nothing could have changed the outcome of today. But he was not concerned about anything. How did he not see the impacted adult tooth?

So now I need to come up with the down payment. Anyone want to help contribute to the kitty?

I can't help with the down payment but for future payments - check at your place of employment ans see if they offer an FSA (Flexible Spending Account) for health related expenses. This would allow you to defer part of your pre-tax income each pay into an account to pay for medical related expenses. The braces would be a qualifying expense and would stretch the $$ because you are usong pre-tax money rather than after tax $$ ans effectively saving 10-30% depending on your tax bracket.

FSA's are usually and annual plan so you may not be able to get into right away but will help with the future payments.

 

[SiClone]

- Find another ortho and get a 2nd opinion/estimate.

- Does either you or your ex have ortho coverage? Most private insurances cover ortho at 50% and up to your yearly max.

- Tell your dentist what your ortho told you and that you are not happy he did not say something or even recommend those baby teeth be extracted.

- Write a long letter to your state's Board of Dentistry to tell them about your dentist's negligence in detecting your son's condition sooner, and that this will be a huge financial burden on you. They WILL listen and investigate.

 

[kokomos]

I think I would have to get another oppinion. Thats alot of money for the dentist to say one thing and ortho say something completly different.
Do you have another dentist close by that could do xrays for impacted tooth and check to see if the teeth are really worn out?
Good luck to you

Wanda

 

[Suz D]

I can't help with the down payment but for future payments - check at your place of employment ans see if they offer an FSA (Flexible Spending Account) for health related expenses. This would allow you to defer part of your pre-tax income each pay into an account to pay for medical related expenses. The braces would be a qualifying expense and would stretch the $$ because you are usong pre-tax money rather than after tax $$ ans effectively saving 10-30% depending on your tax bracket.

FSA's are usually and annual plan so you may not be able to get into right away but will help with the future payments.

Double check on this, because with our FSA, you can only declare the expense at the time it's incurred (with braces, that is at the very beginning). When were were looking at this, we needed to set aside the full amount for the year in which the braces were being put on. So if you just learned this, you'll either have to wait until next year to have them put on and designate that $$ to go into the FSA, or have them put on now and you won't be able to us FSA $ to pay for them.

Your employer may be different as may your ortho, so I would definately check all of this out. Our ortho was willing to bill 1/2 in December for putting them on and then 1/2 in January for the initial "fitting" or something like that which would allow us to spread out the FSA $ over two years. It's a chunk of change to have deducted from your paycheck all in one year. I feel your pain.

 

[jlima]

- Find another ortho and get a 2nd opinion/estimate.

- Write a long letter to your state's Board of Dentistry to tell them about your dentist's negligence in detecting your son's condition sooner, and that this will be a huge financial burden on you. They WILL listen and investigate.

Excellent suggestions. I might add to find another dentist, if the 2nd ortho has the same comments as the first.

 

[spokanemom]

One more thing to ask is if this is a phase 1 & 2 thing. If done in 2 phases (which would make sense with a 36 month treatment plan) you may be able to work in the FSA stuff easier. Also, if there is ortho coverage on your dental plan, certainly take advantage of that.

6K does not seem unreasonable for a 36 month treatment. My oldest son (who got his off 5 months ago) had a 6500.00 plan. He had his braces for 39 months. We also saw an in-network orthodontist who uses a fee schedule for reduced rates. If we had gone out-of-network, the cost would have been about 1000 more (for our area).

My youngest son started his braces yesterday. He is 12 with a deep bite. From your description, their mouths sound similar, excluding the primary teeth. Our fee schedule amount for the 24 month case is 4700.00 Thank goodness for insurance!

I work for an insurance company (I do the background checks on our dentists) and really 6K seems like the going rate, fee schedule or not.

I wish you luck!

 

[QJ411]

Eek, I'm sorry to hear you guys are going through this. I'd try and get a second opinion as well, I know you mentioned that this one was an hour drive away so finding another one might be tough, but if you can, get another opinion. As an adult, I went to an ortho to get a quote, I didn't think my teeth were that bad until they looked at my x-rays/mold verbally butchered my mouth apart. They gave me a laundry list of things wrong, how my jaw's not aligned, how the braces might not fix the problem permanently, etc. The quote they gave me was also about $5,500 to $6,000 and he said it would take about 2 years. I had to pay about $450 for the 'initial' x-ray/gel cap mold thing...and they wanted $2,500 deposit and the rest was paid on a monthly plan through them or through CareCredit.

Maybe you can give CareCredit a try and see if they accept that form of payment as a down payment. Good luck with everything, I hope everything works out, poor DS, I hate dental work, he must be a tough cookie.

 

[TallyTutter]

My daughter was in bottom braces at 7 yr. old. because her dentist saw a tooth that wasn't going to come in correct if she didn't get braces fast. The orthodontist was great (expensive but great!). She wore a retainer until all her adult teeth were in & now at the tender age of 11 she is "wired for sound"! Expensive, OMG!! Thank goodness we had a dentist that watched out for DD from the tender age of 3 and referred her when she did. I think your dentist should have seen a few of these problems earlier too.

 

[Lisa06468]

I would get a 2nd opinion with another orthodontist - and bring everything that first ortho said to your dentist and go over it with him. Seems odd that if he's been your sons dentist all along, that he wouldnt notice his teeth being worn to that of a 60 year old. There are too many issues here that your dentist should have picked up on - or these are things the ortho is telling you that may not be true.

Our dd's are both in braces to the tune of $5600 each. So the rate theyre giving you is in the ballpark. But.... I would get a 2nd opinion, or find another dentist, because somebody is missing the ball on this.

 

[DisneyMomJen]

My DS13 just got his braces on in February. I knew last October he was going to need them and waited until the beginning of the year to start the process. The reason was the Flexible Spending Account. His braces cost $5700. If you paid the whole thing in full at the time they are put the braces on you got a 10% discount. We did this and it brought the cost to $5130. I had $3600 put into flexible spending which was paid that first day directly to the Ortho. I figured we paid about $2000 - $2400 for this FSA before taxes. Our dental insurance is paying the rest, we received a few hundred from them at the beginning and then $95 every month. With doing all of this, the out of pocket cost for us went from $5700 to $2000 - $2400. I am just hoping that we can wait until next year for DD11 since I have to set up this whole process again. We have previously spent $1100 and $1300 for each of them on other Ortho things. I hope this helps and Good Luck!

 

[eliza61]

Unfortunately Orthodontist are God awful expensive. My 14 year old son just got his braces off after 27 months of treatment. Total cost ~$5,200. So 6K does not sound out of the ball park. I would ask around other moms for the name of another ortho and get a 2nd opinion but he has to have the work done it will cost a pretty penny.

Our ortho set up a payment plan (no intrest) that made paying it a little easier.

My son's teeth look fabulous so even though it hurt (in the pocket) we are glad to get in done and just think you now have some thing to hold over his head for the rest of his life. LOL

 

[brenalexacamp]

children should get an ortho consult at about age 7-it is always easier to do something while they are groing.

get another dentist, go for a second opinion, while dental schools are more affordable and all the work is checked by instructors, you may get a different student each time and you will pay dearly with time.

good orthodontists do not want to keep braces on a long time-headgear is worn in the beginning-not the end

you will need an oral surgeon to expose the impacted teeth-if he has them-that is an extra cost to consider

ortho is not just cosmetic-you want the bite to be the best it can so when he eats, they teeth are self cleansing, speech, easier to clean straight teeth and avoid periodontal problems.

we live in nh and 5-6000 is the going rate

look into care credit-the interest is a little steep but you can put the whole treatment on the card and pay monthly-saves your credit cards and you won't need a down payment.

good luck-takes a little navigation and research-a great smile is everything!

I am a toothfairy!

 

[Cindy B]

For those that stated FSA, I will also agree.

We took our son to an ortho appt back in November/December. He got the molds, consult and such done. We knew that by year end we would have to put aside FSA money for the braces, so we got general ballpark figures before we set up the FSA.

We only paid about $250 out of pocket for the first two appt's. Then when the braces came on, we paid the balance --of about $1800 or so. We then submitted the whle check for FSA and we got a check back for what we paid. There was a little insurance quibble for one appt., and what the FSA didn't pay it went to our dental insurance.

We did wait to put the braces on until January since the FSA money for the next year came then .

 

[kacaju]

you have gotten good advice from everyone here. One thing to consider while you are shopping for an orthodontist. Keep in mind that braces require frequent appointments and depending on the hours of the ortho you may find yourself pulling your child out of school early/you leaving work early to get your child to the appt. Factor that into the distance of the office and the time you have available to take your child to the office. If your ex really wants you to drive 2 hours away to a*cheaper* place will he help out with getting your son there?? That is at the bare min. 4 1/2 hours out of your day every six weeks.

 

[maymom96]

If your ex really wants you to drive 2 hours away to a*cheaper* place will he help out with getting your son there?? That is at the bare min. 4 1/2 hours out of your day every six weeks.

Since he hasn't seen my son or had any contact with my son in 8+ years, I would have to guess that is a big negative.
I checked at my husbands work and it's too late to sign up for FSA. Anyone want to guess what we are signing up for the first of the year.
Anyone bought discount dental coverage? I've been looking into it and you can save 20%. But I don't know if it's worth it.

 

[EverythingDisney]

DD10 needs braces. Her teeth look terrible. I went to the orthodontist that everyone goes too. $5800 total for everything. They allow 24 months worth of payments. I have to come up with a huge down payment- I am using my stimulus for the down payment.
I am afraid to use the FSA since DH is a contractor and I don't know how that will work when we change insurances when he changes jobs.

 

[PrincessParty]

DD (8) goes in next week for a retainer after having some baby teeth pulled. DD (11) goes in, in June for braces. We are looking at 6K and 15 months. (I now know what my Mom was saying everytime she said "Those teeth cost me a lot of $$$!") Hang in there!

 

[SandraVB79]

OP, before I continue to read further than your first post, go for a second opinion.

I mean, your regular dentist didn't see anything wrong and the ortho comes up with... well it seems there is nothing good about his teeth.
It's possible that the "truth" may be somewhere in the middle.
So, I'd go for a second opinion, even if you have to drive a little further to get that. That way you'll know if the ortho didn't exaggerate in order to empty your pockets a little more.

 

[goofyboyzmom]

A few months ago, I noticed that my son has a bit of an overbite. At his last dental appointment, I mentioned something to the dentist. He looked, said it's a small overbite but he would refer my son to an ortho. The dentist said at the most, my son would need a spacer.
Today was the ortho appointment. The verdict is:
The teeth are wore down. The ortho said that my 11 year olds teeth are worn more than a 60 year olds. It's because his front teeth go over the bottom teeth and almost cover the bottom teeth (called a deep bite).
He has two baby teeth that should have came out a long time ago but aren't even lose. The adult tooth is now impacted. These baby teeth come out in two weeks.
The deep bite (that I mentioned above).
There isn't much room for the lower teeth.
His upper teeth are too high and his lower teeth are too far back.
So he needs braces. The ortho believes my son will be in braces for a long time. I asked what would be the longest and he said it wouldn't be five years. On the paperwork, it says 36 months.
The final price is between 5200 and 6000 depending on the time frame and what is all needed. Did I mention the head gear that he might need at night after the braces come off, the retainer and the protective gear he will need since he plays football?

I won't get into the subject of his biological father throwing a hissy fit about this, wanting me to get the braces on at a dental school two hours away, having friend of the court telling him that I picked the most expensive ortho (he's the only one within an hours drive) and that this is mostly just cosmetic. It amazes me that a man who hasn't seen or had contact with his son in 8 years starts demanding how things are going to be.

I'm a bit annoyed at the dentist. How did he not see any of these problems? My son has went to the same dentist every six months since he was 3 years old. I know nothing could have changed the outcome of today. But he was not concerned about anything. How did he not see the impacted adult tooth?

So now I need to come up with the down payment. Anyone want to help contribute to the kitty?

EXCUSE THE CAPS, BUT HERE GOES...........

GET A SECOND AND THIRD AND FOURTH OPINION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

I have three boyz, all of whom have worn braces (one still in). With my oldest (and first metal mouth ), the first ortho (recommended by dentist) wanted to do such extremes, said there was an overbite, underbite, recessed chin, etc. I would not ruin my sons childhood with what they wanted to do, so I went and got 3 more opinions (consultations were always free). I never told any of them that we had seen anybody else yet and compared what they all said. WELL, GUESS WHAT????????????

The three other orthos all said the same thing as each other (just a spacer and 2 phases of braces) and nothing at all what the first one said!!! After I selected my ortho I told him what the first one said and he KNEW who the ortho was without me even saying, because this is a common practice for him, to up the price (THIS IS A TRUE STORY). I was, of course, concerned about the price, but it was the absolute TORTURE of what the first ortho wanted to do that made me get other opinions (thank God).

The ortho we go to now (all three kids) actually put my middle son (now 15) off for three years, waiting for teeth to come out naturally (ended up having to pull them because they were not going to come out and were starting to grow sideways because the new teeth were pushing them) because that might have taken care of his problem, instead of pulling and slapping braces on. When somebody tells you, "no, not now and they may never need them", is an honest person instead of "yep, he needs them" as others have done.

Please get more opinions. This is supposed to be the "best time of children's lives" and 5 years is extreme!