Question on braces for my child.?

Question

This is a 2 part question: A. Are there any dentists out there who can, well let me re-phrase that, who are willing to share with me the cost breakdown of braces. I am being quoted $3900.00 by my dentist and he's nice enough but he doesn't seem to want to go into why it's that much. I am looking for a cost breakdown of the materials used and the cost of his time. I realize it may be different in dfferent areas of the country but it would help me make sense of this huge bill. B. My dentist is NOT and orthodontist but he claims he is certified to apply and manage braces. Should I being going to an orthodondist for this? The whole one-stop-shop concept in dentistry kind of makes me uneasy. Don't orthodontists have more schooling and therefore would be safer for my daughter?

These are good answers and thank you everyone for the input. I understand Cost of goods sold and overhead, I own my own business, I just think it's crazy that dentists won't break it down for me? I just get such vague answers. I have to breakdown my prices to my customers. Shouldn't a dentist or Ortho be able to produce a detailed statement (line by line) of the costs?

Answer 1

You probably want to see an orthodontist. $3900 sounds cheap. Full braces are typically $4500 to $6000. The cost breakdown is complex and different in different locations. A big part of it is office overhead (electricity, other utilities, staff salaries, rent, things like that) which runs about 60-some percent for dental offices. In orthodontics, the braces and wires that are attached to your teeth are expensive. The glue used to put it all together is EXTREMELY expensive due to the amount of research involved in continually improving the material. Then, finally, you have the expertise and knowledge of the doctor, which some would argue is invaluable. That's very hard to put a dollar amount on. Orthodontists went to college for at least 10 years to do what they do. It also has to do with the cost at practices in the immediate vicinity. One must compete.

Expensive, but worth it.

Answer 2

It is very hard to break the details down but If this is a total job (including all necessary braces, up & down plus any jaw alignment requirement, scheduled cleanings, free emergency repair visits, any required extractions, after completion retainer and all material) then it's a hell of a good offer (too good to be true, probably not ceramic or clear braces!!) please make sure you sign a contract for an end to end job). I paid $6K for each of my 2 children and 12K for myself.

For the question on qualification, you need to ask for experience and more importantly previous jobs that he did, they usually keep photos of progress to send for recertification..

Answer 3

well 15 years ago i was quoted 4000.00 for braces so thats a deal but i would stay away and go to an orthodontist to get them look at it this way if he screws up them it will cost that much more to go and get them fixed again if he isnt certified then there is no garantee.

Answer 4

get an orthodontic consult. and let the orthodontic do the work, they know how to tighten and exactly how the teeth should line up. The price is about right, if you have dental insurance they will sometimes cover about $1,000 of the cost or at least mine did

Answer 5

Check out http://www.mybenefitsplus.com/40424269/. They can save you up to 80% on your dental work and they include braces. I have benefits through them and they're a great company. They have over 100,000 providers natiowide,so you should be able to find at least one in your area. And their monthly fee is very affordable. Best of luck.

Answer 6

THAT'S THE GOING PRICE AND YES I WOULD STICK WITH AN ORTHODONTIST
THEY WILL USUALLY LET YOU MAKE PAYMENTS AND THE EARLIER YOU DO IT THE BETTER LIKE 12 YRS OLD- 13 ETC
ITS ABOUT 25 APPOINTMENTS

Answer 7

don't give money to anyone who can't tell you where its going. go to an orthodontist.