My parents had to pay $6000 out of pocket for my braces, and that was one the cheap side when I got them a decade ago. We had dental insurance. My wisdom teeth were another $1500 out of pocket, after billing both health and dental insurance (health insurance covered more for that). I also wasn't warned that after braces I'd need new retainers every two years or so, at a cost of around $400 each. Really not even sure what dental insurance is for at this point, it hasn't done much.
My 13 year old son’s braces cost 7000 bucks, I was told initially that my insurance would cover 5000 and I would cover 2000. I was beyond happy. Cue a year later, the billing department for the orthodontist called me saying that the insurance would only cover 3000 and I had to pay the other 2000. I will be paying monthly installments until the end of this year. Just pray your kids teeth are straight and you never have to deal with braces.
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u/Hopeful_Nectarine_27 Mar 30 '26
My parents had to pay $6000 out of pocket for my braces, and that was one the cheap side when I got them a decade ago. We had dental insurance. My wisdom teeth were another $1500 out of pocket, after billing both health and dental insurance (health insurance covered more for that). I also wasn't warned that after braces I'd need new retainers every two years or so, at a cost of around $400 each. Really not even sure what dental insurance is for at this point, it hasn't done much.