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How Much Do Braces Cost With Insurance and Without It?

Victory Plaza Dental Group is one of the top kids orthodontist in North Hollywood. So, if you’ve been wondering how much braces for children in north Hollywood cost, then we can help. We’ve helped hundreds of families correct their teeth. The amount that braces cost varies depending on whether you have insurance or not. People without insurance have to pay more, typically. Not all insurances provide coverage either.

Cost of Braces With Insurance

The cost of braces with insurance varies depending on several factors. Assuming you have coverage, then insurance will distribute benefits according to your policy. They’ll provide some assistance with the downpayment usually. The rest of the cost will be left up to you.

How much would that leave on your shoulders? Well, that depends on the overall cost of your procedure. Usually, you’ll have to pay a couple of thousand at least.

Insurance Provides Varying Levels of Coverage

Most of the time, your policy will provide a percentage of the overall cost. At Victory Plaza Dental Group, we usually see something along the lines of 50%. Some providers will cover more. At the same time, others will cover less. You’d have to speak with your insurance company to figure out the specifics of your policy.

Most of them Cover Part of Your Downpayment

Downpayments are necessary before treatment can begin. Fortunately, most policies will provide something to help cover the cost of that. You might still be on the hook for a couple of hundred dollars, though. The amount that you’ll have to put down depends on your specific policy. Some policies require you to put down a specific percentage of the overall cost. Others will simply require you to put down a set dollar amount. Check your policy to see what you should expect.

The Rest of Your Benefit Is Applied Throughout the Treatment Period

Your insurance will continue to provide assistance throughout the course of your treatment. Each time you make a payment, they’ll cover a portion of it. Talk to us to find out how much you’d owe for each payment. Typically, the insurance company will cover half of each payment. So, if your payment was $400 in total, they’d cover $200 of that. You’d have to take care of the remaining $200.

How Can You Tell if You Are Covered

The easiest way to determine whether your insurance company will cover it is by giving them a call. It won’t take more than a few moments for an experienced agent to break it all down for you. Otherwise, you could comb through your policy documents to see what you can find.

Adult Coverage Is Different From Children’s Coverage

Sometimes, companies specify a difference between child coverage and adult coverage. In other words, your kid might qualify, but that doesn’t mean you will. Talk to your insurance agent to learn whether this applies to you. That way, you’ll have the facts when you decide to go in for treatment.

What Does It Mean for Something to be ‘Medically Necessary’

Occasionally, insurance companies will cover the cost of braces. However, they’ll only do so if they are deemed ‘medically necessary. That means a doctor would need to tell them that your braces are necessary. Without that, your insurance company could deny coverage for the procedure.

Cost of Braces Without Insurance

Braces can be quite expensive if you are paying for them out of pocket. Luckily, even without insurance, there are still options available. Overall, you should expect to pay anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000. You won’t have to pay it all at once. Usually, you can break it up over the course of a year. Sometimes, you can make arrangements for an even longer repayment period.

Without Insurance, You’ll Have to Pay it All Yourself:

If you don’t have insurance, prepare yourself before making an appointment. $5,000 would be the smallest amount you should expect for everything. You’ll have some sort of downpayment as well. If you’d like to proceed, we’d suggest saving up at least 20% of the procedure’s cost. That ought to be enough to cover any downpayments required.

Payment Plans Can Make Things Easier

Compared to the cost of braces with insurance, this can feel a bit extreme. Use a payment plan to make it all a little more manageable. That way, you won’t have to shell out thousands of dollars all at one time. Paying for everything over the duration of the procedure makes it more affordable. Speak to your dentist to see what options they have available for their patients. Learning what they have is the first step to creating an action plan. Once you have that information, making a decision becomes a lot easier.

The Type of Braces Impacts Final Pricing a Lot

Average cost can vary from $5,000 to $10,000. Sometimes, braces can cost even more than that. Of course, you can find them for less as well. Much of that variation is thanks to the different types of braces that are available. Depending on which type you get, you should expect to pay a different amount. Metal braces tend to be among the most affordable options. At the same time, lingual braces seem to cost the most. Compare the benefits of each type to their overall cost. One of them might make more sense for your circumstances.

Average Braces Cost for Children

What is the average braces cost for children? Well, we’ve got good news. Adult braces are more expensive most of the time. So, if you are paying for children’s braces, you won’t have to pay quite as much. We’d say that around $3,000 seems to be the average. Of course, you’ll find some cases that cost more and others that cost less.

Children’s Braces Are Often More Affordable

Paying for your kids to get braces won’t hurt your pocketbook as much. Compared to adult braces, these cost about 30% less on average. The type of braces you get still impacts the overall price. But, they tend to cost less across the board. Another factor that impacts how much everything costs would be how long you wear them.

The Longer You Have to Wear Them, The More They Tend to Cost

You aren’t simply paying for the materials when you get braces. While you wear them, you’ve got to return them for checkups. Those cost money each time you go. Adults happen to take longer than kids. So, it tends to add even more to their overall treatment expenses. Since kids don’t have to wear them as long, that’s another way you can save.

Payment Options

Regardless of everything else, you’ll have to pay something at some point. Paying for your braces can be done using several different methods. Most commonly, people will pay for their procedure using a debit or a credit card. Dentists almost always accept these forms of payment. Still, if you’ve got insurance, you might have even more options available.

Common Payment Methods

  • Flexible Savings Accounts:
    An FSA is a type of savings account that employers provide to their employees. These accounts let you put aside money without having to pay taxes on it. Then, you can use those funds to pay for medical procedures. Check with your employer to see whether your FSA covers orthodontics. If it does, then you should be able to use those funds for your braces.
  • Health Savings Accounts:
    Sometimes, people get something called a high-deductible insurance plan. That means they’ve got to pay quite a bit before their insurance policies will kick in. So, to compensate for that, people put money into an HSA. These accounts let you save money tax-free. Plus, you can transfer these funds with you from one employer to the next.
  • Personal Lines of Credit:
    If you haven’t saved any money, you could apply for a personal line of credit. We’d suggest speaking with a local credit union about a personal loan. With better interest rates than credit cards, personal loans can be a more cost-effective way to scrounge up the funds. Plus, you can have extended repayment periods. Your monthly payments could be super low as a result.
  • Credit Cards:
    Not everyone has access to a personal line of credit. That doesn’t mean you can’t get braces though. Credit cards are a popular way to pay for the procedure. Just pay attention to your interest rates, though. Credit cards often carry far higher interest than other forms of credit.
  • Payment Plans:
    Most dental and orthodontic practices offer patients some form of payment plan. These let patients get the procedures they’d like without having all the funds. Speak to your orthodontist to see what options they’ve got available. Things might be more affordable than you’d guess.

Different Types of Braces

The type of braces you get will have a massive impact on their overall cost. Some types are far less expensive than others. However, each type comes with its own set of advantages. If you are looking for the most affordable option, that’ll be either ceramic or metallic. Those seem to cost the least most of the time.

Common Types of Braces

  • Metal Braces:
    Metal braces are what most people think of when they think about braces. They are simple metal brackets that fit around your teeth. Small wire strings hold them together, applying the pressure to move your teeth. Typically, patients keep these on for a number of months. Some procedures can stretch into years, though. Most of the time, you’ll pay between $3,000 to $7,500 for a set of metal braces.
  • Ceramic Braces:
    Ceramic braces function exactly the same as metallic ones. However, they are meant to match the natural color of your teeth. That makes them a lot less noticeable when you have them on. Unfortunately, they tend to cost a bit more than a standard metallic set. You should expect to pay anywhere from $2,000 to $8,500 for some of these.
  • Invisible Braces:
    Nowadays, you can have an orthodontist create a custom set of clear braces. These can also be taken off when it is time to eat. So, they are less noticeable when you have them on. Plus, they are also removable. Best of all, you can usually find them for less than a set of metal braces. Expect to pay between $3,000 to $7,000 for some of these. There is one downside. Not everyone will qualify for treatment with this. For more severe cases of misalignment, you’ll have to use something else.
  • Lingual Braces:
    There are two things you should know about lingual braces. First, they are completely invisible to other people. Since they sit behind your teeth, other people can’t see them at all. Self-conscious consumers might find these less of a burden as a result. The other thing you should know about lingual braces would be their price. These braces are among the most expensive option available. They tend to run between $5,000 and $10,000. So, if you’d like a lingual set, you’ll have to pay for it.

To Schedule a Consultation, Give Us a Call

Are you looking for braces for children in North Hollywood? We’d love to help if that is the case. We’ve been among the top kids orthodontist in North Hollywood for years. Our experience lets us perform exceptionally. If you are interested in learning more, give us a call. Our staff can field all your questions. Plus, they can give you an estimate on how much everything would cost.