Orthodontists Help? Invisalign or any other affordable option for the look im going to achieve? OrthoClear?

Question

I'm an 18 year old male and have been looking into Invisalign. I was told today that it would cost $7000 for me to have them done. I believe the dentist was trying to rip me off. I would need only very minor work such as closing a very small gap, a small touch up if you will. I went to see another orthodontist about 2 months ago and told me he could use OrthoClear on me for $4200. He also said the process would only take 9 months as opposed to this other lady that told me it would take a year with the $7000 invisalign. She also mentioned that some "invisible", thin tooth colored braces were much cheaper and time would also be a year. She did not provide a price.

I'm a college student and cannot afford $7000. The $4200 is still much but more plausible. What would you recommend? The less treatment time overall is a plus but finance is the big factor.

Should I keep visiting orthodontists for consultations? I'm in southern cali in Norwalk.

Someone mentioned perhaps having my work done at a school. I looked into that at my community college but they dont have a dental program. I'm big USC, UCLA, etc...all those schools. Perhaps they could help me? If price was really low for those invisible clear tooth colored braced it would be up for those. I like some more info on that too.

The doctor that offered $4200 would have been using OrthoClear but i have heard that they are no longer a company so now what? Before I go ahead and call this doctor up I would like more info overall about this entire situation.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Firstly, it is true, OrthoClear was recently bought out bu Invisalign, so it no longer exists. Prices for Invisalign can vary greatly between Orthodontists, from $5000 to $7000. My best suggestion for you is to get your work done at a Dental School, if finances are an issue. Both USC and UCLA have Dental Schools with Orthodontic Programs. Usually you can get good quality work done at these schools for half the price.

However, You may want to consider getting the braces. They are cheaper and most often can accomplish the type of movement that you want in much less time. Invisalign can only move teeth in small movements over a long period of time, braces can move things along much faster. Another option is to find out if the same movements can be achieved by a simple orthodontic appliance (retainer-like appliance). The last option is to see if you can achieve the same result with simple bonding. Often if there is a small gap (diastema) between teeth, this can usually be closed with bonding (white fillings).

It is difficult to give you exact answers, because I am not familiar with your case; however, I hope that this is helpful!

Answer 2

I'm wearing clear braces that will cost me $6,000 and 2 years to wear. I was told that Invisalign or something similar cost more. Whether you get major or minor adjustments done, the dental labs still make pretty much the same appliance so there will hardly be any difference in price there. The price difference would be on the duration of wear and maybe the experience of the orthodontist.

In my case, the first 10-12 months is when noticeable realignments happen to my teeth. During the final 12 months, the teeth are already aligned as planned and they just need to be reinforced so no noticeable movements are expected. If you only need minor adjustments then your realignment period may be much shorter.

Usually older more experienced orthodontists would know more and be better in their trade but then they probably might charge more (they probably won't tell you that). My orthodontist is in his early forties but he seems to really know what he's doing and so far in the 18 months that I've been wearing my braces I've had only one complaint and that was after the first time my braces were installed. The wire wasn't held securely at the very back molar, it snapped free and started piercing my cheek. Obviously I was in a lot of pain, but that's what happens when dental assistants are involved.

Going to too many consultations may end up costing you a lot in fees. Ask around for reliable orthodontists in your area. In your consultation, ask a lot of questions. If the orthodontist is really knowledgeable then he/she should be accomodating and not be irritated with your questions no matter how stupid they are. Remember, you're the one who doesn't know anything about braces and you want value for your money. Ask what the plan of action is, what's going to be done at every visit. An orthodontist should know how go about fixing your teeth.

Answer 3

I actually received my braces when I was 19, I'm not sure how much the cost because my parents paid (i was still in school). But I did get the clear (ceramic) braces. They're regular braces but instead of the metal squares you have tooth colored ceramic brackets. They're a lot stronger than the metal ones and stronger than the plastic brackets (tooth colored and similar to the ceramic ones). Ceramic braces tend to be less visible all together than metal braces do. I would suggest that you go with regular ceramic braces over invisalign if you cannot afford them. Invisalign will be more expensive because you switch retainers every two weeks. Also there's more of a chance of you loosing them. I believe regular braces cost around $2-3000 depending on how much work you need done, or less. From what you described you may only need braces on your top teeth and not the bottom.

Going to a dental student is something that you want to do MAYBE if you're just having a cleaning done. But not if it's something where they're installing an actuall appliance in your mouth. It needs to be done by a professional.

Answer 4

Don't know about California, but out East, regular clear braces are about $1500. Invisalign is about $5000. Honestly, the clear braces aren't all that bad.

Answer 5

Invisalign are more expensive then regular braces. So if you just need minor work done, you would be better off with the old standard braces.